California man charged with murder in kidnapping of businessman Shukur Aikebaer

A California man has been charged with murder after the body of missing businessman Shukur Aikebaer, 60, was found in the trunk of a car his alleged accomplice was driving.

Jianquan Bo, a 66-year-old from Irvine, is accused of helping his brother, Zhengfeng Bo, 67, kidnap Aikebaer, who was the elder Bo’s former business associate, according to local reports.

San Bernardino County officials announced Monday that Jianquan faces a murder charge with special allegations of aiding and abetting in the commission of a kidnapping and use of a firearm for his alleged involvement in Shukur’s death.

Local authorities believe Aikebaer was shot and kidnapped by the Bo brothers Wednesday night as he was outside his home in the affluent Chino Hills checking an electrical panel after a power outage, ABC 7 reported. It’s unclear whether the power was cut on purpose to lure him outside.

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputies rushed to the home following a report of gunshots and a person yelling for help. When the deputies arrived, they reportedly saw Zhengfeng driving a Nissan Altima and tried to pull him over. Police say a short chase ensued and then the car stopped.

Surveillance video obtained by local media outlets appeared to show Zhengfeng getting out of the car, walking behind the trunk and then shooting inside it before he fell to the ground.

Authorities said Zhengfeng fatally shot Aikebaer, who was in the trunk, before deputies opened fire on Zhengfeng and killed him, according to the Los Angeles Times. Jianquan was reportedly uninjured in the passenger seat of the Nissan and taken into custody.

“One of the things that could be confusing to the public is, how can the passenger who gets out of the car be charged with murder? That’s the concept and the theory of felony murder,” San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson said, per KTLA.

“Because of the kidnapping being inherently dangerous, we allege that Mr. Bo knew exactly what the plan was when they went to the victim’s home.”

Aikebaer and Zhengfeng were associates in a commercial real estate firm called Panshi Inc, the LA Times previously reported, citing public records. At the time of his death, Zhengfeng was in a legal dispute over a $20 million apartment complex in Pasadena, attorney Michael Chen, who had been representing him, told the LA Times.

Zhengfeng, Panshi and another associate loaned the developers of the apartment complex more than $2 million, at least some of which was allegedly not repaid, the LA Times reported, citing a lawsuit Chen filed in February. Chen claimed Aikebaer was the “middleman” between Panshi and the developers.

Chen remembered Zhengfeng as a “very calm person” and said there was nothing “adversarial” about his and Aikebaer’s relationship.

“But obviously, something happened,” Chen said.

Aikebaer was a husband and father of three daughters who is remembered as “caring, selfless, and the most loving person” on a GoFundMe page created to help with expenses as he was the sole provider for his family.

“The family has experienced an unimaginable tragedy when their father was kidnapped and killed from his home when the daughter and wife were home,” the GoFundMe page read. “No family should ever have to endure the heartbreak of losing somebody they love so suddenly and unexpectedly, especially in such a senseless act of violence.”

The online fundraiser has already raised more than $34,400 of its $100,000 goal.