In a significant breakthrough, one of the suspects involved in the kidnapping and murder of Indian-origin Sikh man Avtar Singh in California has been apprehended in Mexico eight months after the shocking incident. The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office announced on November 7 that Alberto Alonso Alencastro, aged 25, was arrested in coordination with Mexican law enforcement authorities and subsequently brought back to San Joaquin County for jail booking.
On February 17, Singh, a longtime volunteer and head cook at the Gurdwara Gur Nanak Parkash in Tracy, was abducted from the temple premises. His body was discovered near Lake Berryessa on February 20, three days after his kidnapping. Surveillance footage showed three men forcing him into a white crossover-style SUV in broad daylight. The other two suspects, Alfonso Cresencio Segura Arellano, aged 20, and Barnabe Antonio Segura Arellano, aged 22, remain at large.
Investigators believe Singh was not the intended target but a victim of mistaken identity. According to the sheriff's office, the actual target was a person living in Canada who had reportedly been receiving threats linked to a stolen cargo trailer. The suspects allegedly mistook Singh for that individual. In September, authorities identified the three men from Vallejo as suspects and announced they had been indicted on charges including murder with special circumstances and kidnapping.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office thanked the FBI and Mexican federal law enforcement authorities for their assistance in apprehending Alencastro. The two remaining suspects are still being sought, and authorities have urged anyone with information about their whereabouts to contact the sheriff's office at 209-468-4400. The Sikh community has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrests of the remaining suspects.