3 suspects wanted in connection with kidnapping and murder of Tracy’s father identified

SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, CA. —

The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that three men have been identified as suspects and charged in the kidnapping and murder of a Tracy man.

On February 17, Avtar Singh was kidnapped from a Sikh temple in Tracy around 2:30 p.m. She was not discovered missing until 9 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office.

Surveillance footage showed he was kidnapped by three people who were traveling in a white crossover SUV. The suspect vehicle was identified using Flock license plate scanning technology and was ultimately located in Vallejo and seized on Feb. 19, the sheriff’s office said.

Singh’s body was found on February 20, three days after the kidnapping, more than 100 miles away near Lake Berryessa.

Singh had lived on the grounds of the Tracy Gurdwara temple with his wife and children, including a set of triplets born shortly before the abduction.

Investigators said they believe Singh was the victim of mistaken identity. It was believed at the time that the real target was a person in Canada.

Investigators then traveled to Canada from Feb. 25 to 27 and determined that this person and his family had received threats related to the theft of a trailer loaded with merchandise, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office says the intended target stole a trailer and all the suspects had to do was want to chase and kill him.

Officials say Flock cameras were able to track the license plate, leading investigators to a white crossover-type vehicle in Vallejo.

On February 19, detectives served search warrants and took the vehicle into custody.

From late February to June, detectives reviewed data and surveillance video from where Singh was kidnapped and in Vallejo.

At Wednesday’s news conference, officials identified the suspects in Singh’s killing as three Vallejo men who have ties to Mexico and remain at large.

They are Alberto Alencastro, 25 years old; Alfonso Segura, 20 years old; and Barnabé Segura, 22 years old.

The three men were charged with special circumstances murder and kidnapping.

They must be considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information is asked to contact authorities.

San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow remembers Singh as a pillar of his community.

“She was such a good person,” Withrow said. “He cooked for everyone at the temple and took care of anything that was broken.”

Withrow says he has a hard time feeling sorry for the intended target, but their job is to protect him and his family.

“I just hope this serves as an example to other people who may be stealing merchandise and being involved in this,” Withrow said. “Look at what it brings. Don’t be selfish because you want a nice house and a nice car. Don’t think about yourself. Think about what it brings to the community because people are very serious about you stealing their cargo, no matter what it is, and clearly they will come for you and others will pay for what you have done.”

Withrow goes on to make this promise to Singh’s wife and children.

“We gave him our word then, and we give him our word now: We will not let this go by without finding these individuals.” »

San Joaquin County Prosecutor Ron Freitas said the three suspects face a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

KCRA 3 asked the prosecutor if the man in Canada would face his own charges.

He said they would resolve this matter at a later date and that their main concern was finding the three suspects who killed Avtar.

The sheriff’s office said the Sikh community is offering a $50,000 reward to anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of these suspects.

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