Immigration officials say man who stalked, executed woman at Panera Bread was in the country illegally
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Friday the man who investigators say stalked a woman for months before executing her in a Panera Bread parking lot in Sacramento this week was in the country illegally.
The victim was 38-year-old Shalini Thakur and her mother has said authorities failed to protect her.
A spokesperson for DHS said Thakur’s killer, 22-year-old Rohit Rohit, was from India and entered the United States through Arizona in 2023. He was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol and released by the Biden administration, according to the spokesperson. The exact details around his immigration status were not immediately clear as of Friday.
Federal court records online showed his case was pending. The records showed no appeal had been received for his case and there were no hearings scheduled.
Rohit killed himself amid a standoff with police on Highway 50 after the shooting. The scene left traffic at a standstill for 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 to him,” said a DHS spokesperson. “This tragedy would have been completely avoided if it weren’t for the Biden Administration RELEASING this killer into our country. Sanctuary politicians must put an end to reckless policies that play Russian roulette with American lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and her family.”
A spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office told KCRA 3 earlier this week that the local agency does not have access to immigration status information. The sheriff’s office did not immediately provide a response to the DHS announcement Friday.
California’s sanctuary state law, commonly referred to as SB 54, limits local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with immigration officials when an undocumented immigrant is accused of a crime.
“Trying to turn a horrific act of stalking and domestic violence into an indictment of California’s sanctuary policies is not supported by the evidence and distracts from the real issues this case raises — law enforcement preventing stalking and domestic violence, enforcing restraining orders, and keeping victims safe,” said Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokesperson for Gov. Newsom’s office.
Investigators said Rohit had no known, local criminal history. He had been stalking and harassing Thakur since at least January of this year, according to the sheriff’s department. That’s when she discovered an Apple AirTag under her car’s hood.
The sheriff’s office said the harassment and stalking worsened, describing one instance in which Rohit deflated the woman’s vehicle and followed her to work so he could offer her help. Rohit also allegedly got a copy of the woman’s apartment key and entered her home while she was sleeping. When the woman learned of this the following 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 answer.
Despite these instances, the sheriff’s office said the woman initially declined to pursue charges or get a restraining order. Detectives stayed in contact with the woman for months.
In May, the sheriff’s office said deputies spoke with the woman and urged her again to get a restraining order, which she did. On July 29, deputies got a report that Rohit dropped off random grocery store items at the woman’s front door, which would have violated the restraining order. The sheriff’s office said deputies tried to contact Rohit twice after this.
| MORE | Case of Sacramento woman killed by stalker raises questions about restraining orders
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday Rohit was waiting for Thakur outside the Panera Bread near Howe and Northrop avenues. Investigators said he confronted Thakur and chased her as she attempted to run before shooting her multiple times.
Witnesses provided investigators with information about Rohit’s vehicle. Deputies located him within minutes on eastbound Highway 50 near Watt Avenue with assistance from the FLOCK camera system.
In an emotional interview with KCRA 3 on Thursday night, Thakur’s mother said the system failed to protect her daughter.
“Police did not protect my daughter,” she said.
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