Sikh community mourns tragic deaths in Merced family
Oct. 10—Dozens in the Sikh community, their friends and neighbors came out Sunday for a candlelight vigil at Stonecreek Park to honor the lives of four family members killed in a series of crimes that Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke described as "pure evil."
The bodies of Aroohi Dheri, an 8-month-old girl; her mother, Jasleen Kaur, 27; father, Jasdeep Singh, 36; and uncle Amandeep Singh, 39, were found by a farm worker late Wednesday in an almond orchard in a remote area in the San Joaquin Valley, according to an Associated Press report.
While the victims operated a family business in Merced, the tragedy struck home for many in the Bakersfield community as many of attendees Sunday work in the trucking industry and, similarly to the family that was killed, are here to pursue the American Dream, said Raji Brar, cofounder of the Bakersfield Sikh Women's Association, one of the vigil's organizers.
"It's the No. 1 industry for Punjabi families — 90 percent of these folks, if you asked them, they are truckers," she added, "and I think it just hit so close to home because it could happen to anybody."
After a priest shared a traditional Ardas, which included words of love, as well as prayers that a higher power will watch over the victims and that their souls will find peace, members of the community groups shared messages with attendees meant to bring them together in their grief.
"I have no words for the loss," said Sonia Kaur, community organizer for the Jakara Movement, translating the message that she had just shared in Punjabi with the crowd of about 100 or so who came out for the remembrance.
There was a message board available for members of Bakersfield's Sikh community to write messages that are going to be shared with the family of the murder victims. But it offered little in the way of an explanation of the tragedy the community was there to mourn.
Relatives of the victims and fellow members of the Punjabi Sikh community were shocked by the killings, which prompted outpourings of support like Sunday's throughout the Central Valley.
Warnke told the Associated Press that the alleged kidnapping and murder of the four were believed to be the result of a longstanding business feud involving the family.
Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the allegations, according to AP reports: Alberto Salgado, 41, was arrested late Thursday and accused of criminal conspiracy, accessory and destroying evidence; his brother, Jesus Salgado, 48, is being held on kidnapping and murder charges.
"When we look at the family, they look familiar, they look like a relative and, for some of the people here, they are a relative — we're just really connected," said Manpreet Kaur, a lifelong resident who's also running to represent Ward 7, which includes the community where the vigil was held. "And that's what we want to really emphasize is, no matter the distance, we're all connected. Especially when something so senseless and confusing happens. We all feel the impact."
A gofundme page to support the family has been set up at https://bit.ly/Sikhfamily.
