Family kidnapped by armed man in Merced County, California

Police are searching for a missing California family of four who they believe were “taken against their will” by an armed man, investigators said Monday.

The family includes 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri; her 27-year-old mother, Jasleen Kaur; her 36-year-old father, Jasdeep Singh; and her 39-year-old uncle, Amandeep Singh, according to the Merced County Sheriff’s Office.

The family was “taken against their will” from a business in Merced County in California’s Central Valley on Monday, the sheriff’s office said.

“We have a lowlife out there who kidnapped an 8-month-old baby, her mom, her dad and her uncle,” Sheriff Vern Warnke said in a video statement.

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Police warned the public not to approach the kidnapper, who they believe is “armed and dangerous,” or the victims. 

The suspect was described as a man with a shaved head and a light complexion. Investigators have not determined a motive behind the reported kidnapping.

Warnke said the sheriff’s office has made no contact with the kidnapper and there have been no offers for ransom. Investigators also believe the kidnapper destroyed evidence “in an attempt to cover their tracks,” Warnke said.

Warnke added: “We have no motivation behind it. We just know that they are gone.”

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