Indian man who illegally entered US stalked Shalini Thakur, ‘shot at her’: Chilling details of California murder emerge | Today’s news
The man who killed Indian-origin woman Shalini Thakur in California, US, had a history of stalking her, authorities said.
Shalini Thakur, 38, was killed in a shooting outside a restaurant in California. The events took place on September 8 at a shopping center in Sacramento.
The individual accused of the murder has been identified as Rohit, a 22-year-old man from India who allegedly stalked her for months, the US Department of Homeland Security said, according to ANI.
Rohit has ‘followed’ Shalini in the past.
Local reports detailing how Rohit stalked the victim in the past said authorities said he had been stalking her since January 2026, when the victim found an Apple AirTag under the hood of her car.
The sheriff’s office said the harassment and stalking escalated, describing one instance in which Rohit blew up a woman’s car and followed her to work to offer her help, KCRA reported.
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At one point, he allegedly obtained a copy of her apartment key so he could enter her home while she slept. When the woman found out the next morning, the sheriff’s office said Rohit claimed he entered her apartment out of concern that something had happened to her when she did not respond.
Even after she got a restraining order against Rohit in May, he continued to pursue her in July.
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In May, the sheriff’s office said deputies spoke with the woman and again urged her to get a restraining order, which she did.
On July 29, deputies received a report that Rohit had dropped random items from the grocery store at the woman’s front door, in violation of the restraining order.
The sheriff’s office said deputies then tried to contact Rohit twice.
Who was Rohit? How did he kill Shalini?
DHS reportedly said the accused Rohit was an undocumented immigrant from India and entered the United States through Arizona in 2023.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that Rohit was waiting for Thakur outside a Panera Bread near Howe and Northrop avenues.
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Investigators reportedly said he confronted Thakur and chased her as she tried to run before shooting her multiple times.
Officials said Rohit fled the spot in his vehicle after the attack.
According to DHS, Rohit went to see Shalini Thakur near her car. When she tried to run away, he chased her, pulled out a gun and shot her several times.
As she collapsed to the ground, he fired another shot into her head at close range before running away, the department said.
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Authorities later determined that Rohit died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to a report, Rohit killed himself in the middle of a standoff with police on Highway 50 after the shooting. The scene brought traffic to a standstill for several hours.
“This illegal alien from India harassed, stalked and then killed a 38-year-old woman in California, and then took his own life when police caught up with him,” a DHS spokesperson said.
“This tragedy could have been completely avoided if the Biden administration had NOT let this murderer into our country. Sanctuary politicians must end the reckless policies that play Russian roulette with American lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and her family,” the spokesman said, according to KCRA news report.
After the incident, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said that Rohit crossed into the United States through Arizona during 2023 and faced arrest by the US Border Patrol before being released under President Biden’s administration.
Specific details regarding his legal residency remained unclear.
Investigators said Rohit has no known local criminal history.
