3 suspects wanted in connection with kidnapping and murder of Tracy father are identified
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, Calif. —
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office announced on Wednesday that three men have been identified as suspects and indicted in connection with the kidnapping and murder of a Tracy man.
On Feb. 17, Avtar Singh was kidnapped from a Sikh temple in Tracy around 2:30 p.m. His disappearance wasn’t discovered until 9 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office.
Surveillance footage showed he had been kidnapped by three people who traveled in a white crossover-style SUV. The suspect vehicle was identified by Flock license plate reader technology and eventually tracked to Vallejo and seized on Feb. 19, the sheriff’s office said.
Singh’s body was found on Feb. 20, three days after the kidnapping, more than 100 miles away near Lake Berryessa.
Singh had lived on the temple grounds at the Tracy Gurdwara with his wife and children, including a set of triplets who were born shortly before the kidnapping.
Investigators said they believed Singh was a victim of mistaken identity. The actual target was believed to be a person in Canada at the time.
Investigators then traveled to Canada from Feb. 25-27 and determined that person and his family had been receiving threats related to a stolen trailer of cargo, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office says the intended target stole a trailer, and it was enough for the suspects to want to chase him down and kill him.
Officials say Flock cameras were able to track the license plate, leading investigators to a white crossover-style vehicle in Vallejo.
On Feb. 19, detectives served search warrants and took the vehicle into custody.
From late February through June, detectives reviewed data and surveillance video from where Singh was kidnapped and in Vallejo.
During Wednesday’s news conference, officials identified the suspects in Singh’s killing as three men from Vallejo who have ties to Mexico and remain at large.
They are Alberto Alencastro, 25; Alfonso Segura, 20; and Barnabe Segura, 22.
The three men were indicted on charges that include murder with special circumstances and kidnapping.
They should be considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information is urged to contact authorities.
San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow remembers Singh as a pillar in his community.
“He was such a good person,” Withrow said. “He cooked for everybody at the temple, and he took care of anything that was broken.”
Withrow says he’s struggling with feeling sorry for the intended target, but their job is to protect him and his family.
“I just hope it’s used as an example to others who may be in this line of work of stealing cargo and being involved in that,” Withrow said. “Look what this brings. Don’t be selfish because you want a nice house and a nice car. Don’t think about yourself. Think about what this brings to the community because people are very serious when you steal their cargo no matter what it is, and it’s clear they will come looking for you and other people will pay for what you’ve done.”
Withrow goes on to make this promise to Singh’s wife and children.
“We gave her our word then, and we give her our word now that we will not let this go by without finding these individuals.”
The San Joaquin County District Attorney, Ron Freitas, said the three suspects face a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
KCRA 3 asked the district attorney if the man in Canada will face any charges of his own.
He said they will deal with that at a later date, and their main concern is finding the three suspects who killed Avtar.
The Sheriff’s Office says the Sikh community is offering a $50,000 reward to anyone who has information that could lead to the arrest of these suspects.
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