California Sikh temple kidnapping-murder of Avtar Singh: Suspect arrested in Mexico after 8 months, two others remain on the run

Avtar Singh became a father of triplets six months before he was kidnapped and then found murdered in California.

A man accused of being part of a plot to kidnap and murder Indian-origin Sikh man Avtar Singh in California has been arrested in Mexico, months after the shocking abduction from a gurdwara in Tracy. Alberto Alonso Alencastro, 25, was apprehended in Mexico in coordination with Mexican law enforcement authorities and then brought back to San Joaquin County, where he was booked into jail, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office announced on November 7. Alencastro is one of three men accused of kidnapping and killing Singh, 57, who was abducted from the Gurdwara Gur Nanak Parkash in Tracy on February 17. The other two suspects, Alfonso Cresencio Segura Arellano, 20, and Barnabe Antonio Segura Arellano, 22, remain at large. Singh's body was discovered near Lake Berryessa on February 20, three days after his abduction. Surveillance footage showed three men forcing him into a white crossover-style SUV in broad daylight. The killing shocked the local Sikh community, particularly because Singh's three young children, who were triplets, were left alone inside the temple when he was taken. Singh lived on the gurdwara premises with his wife and children and was a longtime volunteer who served as the temple's head cook.

Mistaken identity behind kidnapping

Investigators believe Singh was not the intended target and was abducted in a case of mistaken identity. According to the sheriff's office, the actual target was a person living in Canada who had allegedly been receiving threats linked to a stolen cargo trailer. Investigators travelled to Canada between February 25 and 27 and established a connection between the threats and the trailer theft. Authorities said the suspects allegedly wanted to pursue and kill the person they believed had stolen the cargo. But Singh was apparently mistaken for that individual. In September, authorities identified the three men from Vallejo as suspects and announced that they had been indicted on charges including murder with special circumstances and kidnapping. Investigators also seized a white SUV believed to have been used in the abduction. The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office thanked the FBI and Mexican federal law enforcement authorities for helping apprehend Alencastro. The two remaining suspects are still being sought. Authorities have urged anyone with information about their whereabouts to contact the sheriff's office at 209-468-4400. The Sikh community has also offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the suspects' arrests.