Indian-origin woman shot dead by stalker in California; accused was undocumented
A 38-year-old woman was chased and shot dead outside a restaurant in California’s Sacramento on Tuesday after months of stalking and harassment by a 22-year-old man, who later died by suicide during a police stop on a busy highway.
The suspect was identified as an undocumented immigrant who had previously been detained in Arizona, according to authorities.
Shalini Thakur was getting dropped off at work at a shopping plaza near Howe Avenue and Northrop Avenue in the Arden Arcade area when Rohit Rohit approached and confronted her, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
Thakur tried to flee, but Rohit chased her and shot her multiple times in front of several witnesses, authorities said. After she fell, he fired another shot at her head at close range.
Deputies responding to reports of the shooting around 3 pm found Thakur unresponsive outside a Panera Bread restaurant in the 800 block of Howe Avenue. Medics pronounced her dead at the scene.SUSPECT TRACKED TO HIGHWAY 50
Witnesses provided deputies with a description of the suspect’s vehicle, which was entered into the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office’s automated license plate reader system.
According to Lt Amar Gandhi, deputies soon obtained the vehicle’s last known location. Deputies assigned to Sacramento Regional Transit located the car minutes later on eastbound Highway 50 near Watt Avenue.
When deputies attempted to pull the vehicle over, Rohit slammed on the brakes and stopped on the highway, Gandhi said. The California Highway Patrol subsequently closed all eastbound lanes at Howe Avenue because of police activity.
KCRA Channel 3 footage showed the suspect’s vehicle surrounded by sheriff’s vehicles, including an armoured BearCat, with deputies holding their weapons drawn. Deputies eventually broke the driver-side window and sent a drone into the vehicle before approaching the car.
The suspect was found slumped over in the driver’s seat with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities later confirmed that Rohit had died from the wound. It did not appear that deputies had fired their weapons, KCRA reported.I KNEW it! The guy who k-lled this young woman here in Sacramento was an ILLEGAL alien! I probably filmed him when he crossed illegally in Arizona during Biden's term! The Biden admin released him into the interior. He stalked the woman for months, then sh-t her down.KCRA pic.twitter.com/LNuadxn2pA— Jeff Rainforth (@liberty_clarion) September 12, 2026MONTHS OF STALKING, RESTRAINING ORDER
Investigators said the shooting followed a months-long pattern of stalking and harassment. According to The Sacramento Bee, court documents show the stalking began around September 2025 and progressively became more frequent and severe.
Thakur reportedly knew Rohit through DoorDash pickups from her workplace. She later obtained a restraining order after his behaviour escalated, including waiting outside her home for hours, deflating her vehicle’s tyres and placing an Apple AirTag under her car to track her movements.
The restraining-order documents also say Rohit pressured Thakur to marry him and attempted to control whom she could socialise with. On one occasion, he made a copy of her flat's key and entered while she was sleeping.
Sheriff’s officials had expressed concern over Rohit’s behaviour and encouraged Thakur to seek a restraining order. He was served with the order on May 19, but investigators said he later violated it.
In late July, he left grocery items outside Thakur’s home, despite the order.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the shooting, the circumstances surrounding the stalking and the suspect’s death on Highway 50.- EndsPublished By: Published On: Sep 12, 2026 13:39 IST
