Indian man who illegally entered US stalked Shalini Thakur, ‘fired at her': Chilling details of California murder emerge

The man who killed an Indian-origin woman, Shalini Thakur, in California, the US, stalked her in the past, authorities said.

Shalini Thakur, aged 38, was killed by gunfire outside a restaurant in California. The events unfolded on September 8 at a shopping centre in Sacramento.

The individual accused of the murder was identified as Rohit, a 22-year-old man from India, who had allegedly stalked her for months, the US Department of Homeland Security said, as per ANI.

Rohit 'stalked' Shalini in past

Local reports detailing how Rohit had stalked the victim in the past noted that authorities had said he had stalked her since January 2026, when the victim had found an Apple AirTag under the hood of her car.

The sheriff's office said the harassment and stalking worsened, describing one instance in which Rohit deflated the woman's vehicle and followed her to work so he could offer her help, KCRA reported.

At one point, he had allegedly obtained a copy of her apartment key so he could enter her home while she slept. When the woman learned of this the following morning, the sheriff's office said Rohit claimed he entered her apartment out of concern that something had happened to her when she did not answer.

Even after she had got a restraining order against Rohit in May, he had continued to stalk her as recently as July.

In May, the sheriff's office said deputies spoke with the woman and urged her again to get a restraining order, which she did.

On July 29, deputies got a report that Rohit dropped off random grocery store items at the woman's front door, which would have violated the restraining order.

The sheriff's office said deputies tried to contact Rohit twice after this.

Who was Rohit? How did he kill Shalini?

The DHS reportedly said the accused, Rohit, was an undocumented immigrant from India, and had entered the United States through Arizona in 2023.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that Rohit was waiting for Thakur outside the Panera Bread near Howe and Northrop avenues.

Investigators reportedly said he confronted Thakur and chased her as she attempted to run before shooting her multiple times.

Officials said Rohit fled the scene in his vehicle after the attack.

According to DHS, Rohit went up to Shalini Thakur at her car. When she sought to escape, he pursued her, pulled out a gun and fired at her several times.

Once she had collapsed to the ground, he fired a further shot into her head from close range before making his escape, the department was quoted as saying.

Authorities later established that Rohit had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to a report, Rohit killed himself amid a standoff with police on Highway 50 after the shooting. The scene left traffic at a standstill for hours.

"This illegal alien from India harassed, stalked, and then killed a 38-year-old woman in California, and then took his own life when police caught up to him," said a DHS spokesperson.

"This tragedy would have been completely avoided if it weren’t for the Biden Administration RELEASING this killer into our country. Sanctuary politicians must put an end to reckless policies that play Russian roulette with American lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and her family," the spokesperson said, according to a KCRA news report.

Following the incident, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated that Rohit had crossed into the United States via Arizona during 2023 and faced apprehension by US Border Patrol before being released under the administration of President Biden.

Specific particulars concerning his legal residency status remained unclear.

Investigators said Rohit had no known, local criminal history.