Kidnapped Indian-origin Sikh family found dead in California

Four members of an Indian-origin Sikh family, including an eight-month-old baby girl, who were kidnapped by an armed man in California earlier this week have been found dead in a rural orchard, authorities said as they were working to determine the motive behind the "horribly senseless" killing.

"Our worst fears have been confirmed," Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said at a news conference on Wednesday night.

"A whole family wiped out, and we still don't know why," Warnke, who was visibly emotional and frustrated at what happened to the Indian-origin family in the US state of California.

The family, originally from Harsi Pind in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, was kidnapped from their newly-opened trucking business in Merced County, California, on Monday.

Sheriff Warnke said the bodies of 36-year-old Jasdeep Singh, 27-year-old Jasleen Kaur, their eight-month-old child Aroohi Dheri and the baby's uncle, 39-year-old Amandeep Singh were found on Wednesday evening in an orchard in a remote area in Merced County.

Warnke said that a farm worker near the orchard found the bodies and immediately contacted authorities. All of the bodies were found close together, he said.

"There are no words to describe the anger I feel," Warnke said. "There's a special place in hell for this guy," he said about Jesus Manuel Salgado, the suspect, who attempted to kill himself.

"It's horribly, horribly senseless," he said.

Warnke did not say how the family was killed, adding that it appears they were killed before they were reported missing on Monday.

Authorities believe the person they have in custody is the main suspect in the killings, though they indicated other people may have been involved, according to Warnke, who did not elaborate on the extent of that involvement.

"I fully believe that we will uncover and find out that there was more than just him involved, Warnke was quoted as saying by CNN.

The suspect in custody has been providing information to investigators, and officials are working with him to identify a motive, Warnke said.

Family members said nothing was stolen from the trucking company but that their relatives were all wearing jewellery.

Warnke had said that after the kidnappings, an ATM card belonging to one of the victims was used in Atwater, about 14 kilometers north of Merced.

He said the kidnapper made no ransom demands in what he believes was a financially motivated crime.

Earlier in the day, the Merced County Sheriff's Office released a chilling new video showing the moment the family was kidnapped.

Jasdeep and Amandeep Singh came out of the business with their hands zip-tied together. Moments later, the video shows the kidnapper leading Jasleen and her 8-month-old baby, Aroohi, out of the building into a truck.

Salgado, 48, the person of interest, was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon and remains in the hospital in critical condition after he tried to kill himself.

The sheriff's office said his own family contacted authorities reporting that Salgado had admitted to them he was involved with the kidnapping of the family.

Investigators have not found a link between Salgado and the family to show they knew each other before the kidnapping.

Family members told KXTV-TV that the office for Unison Trucking Inc, the family's business, had only opened about a week earlier.

Meanwhile, authorities were processing the area where the bodies were found, and it appears the family were killed at that location, Warnke said.

Law enforcement are working to preserve and document the crime scene so they can pursue a full conviction, Warnke said. There is a lot of circumstantial evidence and direct evidence in this case, he added.

Before the bodies were found Wednesday evening, a family member urged people to come forward with any information in the case.

"This is a peace loving family and running a small business in the Merced area, pleaded Balvinder, a family member. This is something that nobody is prepared for dealing with we are just hoping and praying every moment.