Sikh Man Kidnapped In Daylight, Killed In California Mistaken-Identity Case

A 57-year-old Sikh man of Indian origin was kidnapped and murdered in California in a horrific case of mistaken identity on Tuesday. Avtar Singh was abducted in broad daylight from Tracy, which is an hour from San Jose. 

Footage shows Singh being shoved into the back of an SUV by three suspects who lunged at him outside a gurdwara at 2:30pm. Sheriff Patrick Withrow said that Singh tried to fight the men but was overpowered.

His wife reported him missing at 9pm when she returned from work and found their three children by themselves.

Police found a body near Lake Berryessa, a two-hour drive away, on Friday and later revealed that it was Singh. The cops said that the motive of the murder was not known but said that he was not the intended target.

"This was not a random act. They were targeted after another individual for a specific reason and we're hoping that reason comes to the light", Withrow said, per a report by KCRA.

"Our detectives are working tirelessly to investigate this case and identify those responsible for this terrible act", he added.

The victim's colleague Deep Singh told the publication that he was very sincere and hard-working. "For 23 years, his main role was the head cook at our gurudwara, at the temple, but he was not only a cook, he was a multi-tasking person", he said.

Singh had become a father to triplets six months ago, who had been born prematurely.

A GoFundMe was set up for him, describing him as a man with a "loving nature" who made everyone feel like "family".

"We are heartbroken to share that Avtar Singh Bullt, a beloved sevadaar of Tracy Gurdwara Sahib, tragically lost his life after being kidnapped", the post added.