Indian-origin woman killed in California after months of stalking, says DHS

California [US], September 13 (ANI): A woman of Indian origin, aged 38, was killed by gunfire outside a restaurant in the American state of California. The individual accused of the murder is a 22-year-old man from India who had allegedly stalked her for months, according to the US Department of Homeland Security.
The events unfolded on September 8 at a shopping centre in Sacramento. Officials said the accused, identified as Rohit, made off in his vehicle after the attack. Authorities later established that he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According to DHS, Rohit, described as an undocumented immigrant from India, went up to Shalini Thakur at her car. When she sought to escape, he pursued her, pulled out a gun and fired at her several times.
Once she had collapsed to the ground, he fired a further shot into her head from close range before making his escape, the department said.
Following the incident, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated that Rohit had crossed into the United States via Arizona during 2023 and faced apprehension by US Border Patrol before being released under the administration of President Biden.
Specific particulars concerning his legal residency status remained unclear.
Adding to these findings, local reports detailing how Rohit had stalked the victim in the past noted that authorities had said he had stalked her since January 2026, when the victim had found an Apple AirTag under the hood of her car.
Later, he had deflated the woman’s vehicle tyres and followed her to work so he could pretend to offer her help. At one point, he had allegedly obtained a copy of her apartment key so he could enter her home while she slept.
Even after she had got a restraining order against Rohit in May, he had continued to stalk her as recently as July. (ANI)