Rohit Rohit was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents after illegally entering the United States through Arizona in August 2023, according to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS said Rohit was later released into the country.
Department of Homeland Security
Rohit Rohit crossed the southern border illegally into Arizona in August 2023, where U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested him and later released him into the country, according to the Department of Homeland Security, three years before the 22-year-old fatally shot a woman he had stalked for months outside an Arden Arcade restaurant.
DHS blamed the Biden administration for Rohit’s release following his 2023 arrest and criticized sanctuary policies after Tuesday’s fatal daylight shooting of 38-year-old Shalini Thakur outside a Howe Avenue shopping complex. Rohit later fatally shot himself inside his car on Highway 50.
“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,” a department spokesperson said in the Friday statement. “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.”
In its statement, Homeland Security officials did not say why Rohit was released following his arrest or provide details about his immigration case.
Thakur and Rohit worked at separate businesses but had been friends for a couple of years before Rohit’s behavior became increasingly bizarre and menacing in January, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office officials said.
Rohit attached an Apple AirTag to Thakur’s vehicle to track her activity, deflated a tire and followed her to work so he could offer to help her. He also left random deliveries at the woman’s doorstep.
On one occasion, Rohit obtained Thakur’s apartment key and entered her residence while she slept, Sheriff’s Office officials said. The afternoon of the slaying, Rohit waited for her to arrive in the Howe Avenue parking lot, where he chased her down and shot her multiple times in front of witnesses before firing a final shot at close range.
Sheriff’s detectives urged Thakur to file for a restraining order after she reported the increasingly disturbing incidents in March. She did so in May. Rohit violated the court order by making the phantom door deliveries in July but was not arrested, Sheriff’s Office officials said.
DoorDash, where Rohit had once worked as a delivery driver, said Friday that it was cooperating with the Sheriff’s Office investigation.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy, and our hearts are with Ms. Thakur’s family and loved ones as they grieve this immense loss,” a DoorDash spokesperson said. “DoorDash has absolutely zero tolerance for violence or harassment of any kind, and we encourage anyone experiencing unwanted attention to report it directly in the DoorDash app, and to contact local law enforcement if they feel unsafe. We are fully cooperating with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office as they investigate.”
Rohit had no criminal history, Sheriff’s Office officials said. It was not known how he obtained a firearm.
This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 3:12 PM.
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Darrell Smith is a local reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He joined The Bee in 2006 and previously worked at newspapers in Palm Springs, Colorado Springs and Marysville. Smith was born and raised at Beale Air Force Base and lives in Elk Grove.