Archive · 13 Sep 2026
Indian-Origin Woman Killed After Alleged Months-Long Stalking Attack
Shalini Thakur was a 38-year-old woman who was killed in Sacramento, California.
Authorities said a 22-year-old man named Rohit attacked her outside a restaurant.
They said he had followed and harassed her for months.
Investigators reported that he used a tracking device, damaged her car, and entered her apartment while she slept.
Thakur reported the behavior and later obtained a restraining order.
Officials said Rohit chased and shot her after she tried to escape.
He then drove away and was later found dead in his vehicle.
Police had stopped the vehicle on a highway, causing a standoff and major traffic delays.
Officials have not fully clarified Rohit’s immigration status or confirmed a motive.
Shalini Thakur, 38, was fatally shot outside a restaurant at Sacramento’s Arden Arcade shopping centre on September 8.
Authorities identified the alleged attacker as Rohit, 22, who reportedly stalked and harassed Thakur for months.
Investigators said Rohit used an Apple AirTag, deflated her car tires, followed her to work, and obtained a key to her apartment.
Thakur reported the incidents, and deputies said she obtained a restraining order in May; officials later reported alleged violations of that order.
Rohit fled after the shooting and was later found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound following a Highway 50 standoff.
- Who
- Shalini Thakur, 38, was killed; authorities identified Rohit, 22, as the alleged attacker.
- What
- Thakur was fatally shot in an alleged stalking-related attack, and Rohit later died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
- When
- The shooting occurred on September 8; officials said the alleged stalking had begun at least in January.
- Where
- The shooting occurred outside a restaurant at the Arden Arcade shopping centre in Sacramento, California; Rohit was later found on eastbound Highway 50 near Watt Avenue.
- Why
- Authorities described an escalating fixation and stalking campaign, but no confirmed motive was reported.
DHS Immigration Criticism
Law-Enforcement Findings and Unresolved Details
Immigration and public safety
DHS Immigration Criticism
A DHS spokesperson blamed the Biden administration’s release of Rohit and argued that the tragedy could have been prevented through stricter immigration policies.
Law-Enforcement Findings and Unresolved Details
The articles report DHS’s account but also state that Rohit’s exact immigration status was not immediately clear; the law-enforcement reports focus on the alleged stalking and shooting.
Relationship and motive
DHS Immigration Criticism
DHS characterized Rohit as a stalker who harassed, pursued, and killed Thakur.
Law-Enforcement Findings and Unresolved Details
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said the two were friends who had known each other for about two years and worked for different employers; officials described an escalating fixation but did not establish a confirmed motive.
- Victim
- Shalini Thakur, a 38-year-old Indian-origin woman
- Alleged attacker
- Rohit, a 22-year-old man from India
- Incident date
- September 8
- Reported stalking conduct
- An Apple AirTag, deflated tires, workplace following, alleged apartment entry, and deliveries reportedly violating a restraining order
- Protective order
- Thakur reported incidents in March and obtained a restraining order in May, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office
- Police response
- Rohit’s vehicle was located on eastbound Highway 50, where a standoff halted traffic for hours
- Immigration information
- The Department of Homeland Security said Rohit entered through Arizona in 2023, was arrested by Border Patrol, and was released; his exact status remained unclear
Sources
Stalker kills Indian-origin woman, kills self in California
Chilling details of California murder emerge: Indian man who illegally entered US stalked Shalini Thakur, ‘fired at her'
California shooting: Indian-origin woman killed by alleged stalker who had tracked her for months
Indian-Origin Woman Killed in California Shooting After Months of Stalking
