What should have been an ordinary afternoon at a gurdwara turned into a nightmare that ended in tragedy for a family and left a community in shock in the US state of California.
Avtar Singh, 57, a Sikh man of Indian origin and a father of six-month-old triplets, was abducted in broad daylight on February 17 from outside a gurdwara in Tracy, San Joaquin County, about an hour from San Jose. Three suspects forced him into the back of an SUV around 2:30 pm (local time), the New York Post reported, citing security camera footage.
His wife returned home from work later that day to find their infant triplets alone. Singh was reported missing soon after. Three days later, his body was discovered near Lake Berryessa, nearly two hours from where he was kidnapped.
Authorities have confirmed that Avtar was not the intended target. Investigators believe the attackers were pursuing someone else, pointing to what they suspect was a deadly case of mistaken identity. The motive remains unclear, and no suspects have been publicly named.
San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow said 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,” Withrow said, according to the New York Post report.
At the gurdwara where Avtar worked for more than two decades as a cook, grief has settled heavily. Deep Singh, a colleague and temple spokesperson, said, “He was not only a cook, he was a multitasking person.”
Avtar had served as head cook for 23 years. “He was such a nice, humble, honest person — hardworking, punctual,” Deep added.
The temple community had celebrated when Avtar and his wife, married for around 17 years, learnt they were expecting triplets, Deep told a local news outlet. The babies were born prematurely and required a lengthy hospital stay.
On the day of his abduction, Avtar had reportedly been at the temple with the children. They were found unharmed but alone.
A GoFundMe page created to support the family called the loss devastating.
“What began as a deeply concerning disappearance has ended in an unimaginable loss for his family and the entire Sangat,” the fundraiser said, adding that Avtar “made everyone feel like family”.
Meanwhile, investigators continue to work to determine why the attack occurred and who was responsible.
