Sikh man, 57, abducted and murdered in California, police say he wasn't the intended target: 'Not a random act'

Avtar Singh was kidnapped and murdered in California in a mistaken identity case. The case is being investigated as a homicide.

A 57-year-old Sikh man of Indian origin was abducted in broad daylight from outside a gurdwara in California and later found dead in what authorities believe was a case of mistaken identity.

Officials said that Singh was not the intended target of the attack. (gofundme.com)

According to a report by KCRA, the deceased, identified as Avtar Singh, was kidnapped on February 17 at around 2:30pm (local time) outside a gurdwara in San Joaquin County’s Tracy city. Singh attempted to resist but was overpowered by the abductors, said San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow.

“This was not a random act,” Withrow said. “They were targeted after another individual for a specific reason and we’re hoping that reason comes to light,” he added.

Singh was reported missing later that evening at 8.52pm. Temple leaders told the outlet that his wife grew concerned after returning from work to find their six-month-old triplets alone and her husband missing.

Three days later, on Friday afternoon, deputies from the Napa County Sheriff’s Office discovered a body near Lake Berryessa, nearly two hours away from the abduction site. Authorities subsequently confirmed the body was that of Singh.

Officials said that Singh was not the intended target of the attack. However, they have not disclosed a motive or identified any suspects so far. The case is being investigated as a homicide.

“Our detectives are working tirelessly to investigate this case and identify those responsible for this terrible act,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Who was Avtar Singh?

Singh had been associated with the gurdwara for over two decades and lived on the temple grounds with his wife and their three young children. Deep Singh, the temple’s secretary and spokesperson, described him as “very sincere and hard working.”

“For 23 years, his main role was the head cook at our gurdwara, but he was not only a cook, he was a multi-tasking person,” Deep Singh said.

The temple community had recently celebrated the homecoming of the couple’s triplets after they were born prematurely and spent an extended period in hospital. “When they got here, it was a big gathering. It was a big celebration. He was happy, mom was happy, and the community was happy,” Deep Singh said, adding, “We’re not gonna be able to repair her loss.”

A cause of death had not yet been released, but Withrow said the county's medical examiner has completed an autopsy. An investigation is ongoing.