SACRAMENTO, California — The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Friday that the man who investigators say stalked a woman for months before executing her in a Panera Bread parking lot in Sacramento this week was in the country illegally. The victim was Shalini Thakur, 38, and her mother said authorities failed to protect her. A DHS spokesperson said Thakur’s killer, Rohit Rohit, 22, was from India and entered the United States through Arizona in 2023. He was arrested by the US Border Patrol and released by the Biden administration, according to the spokesperson. Exact details about his immigration status were not immediately clear as of Friday. Online federal court records showed his case was pending. Records showed no appeal had been received for his case and no hearings were scheduled. Rohit committed suicide amid a standoff with police on Highway 50 after the shooting. The scene left traffic paralyzed 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 with him,” a DHS spokesperson said. “This tragedy would have been completely avoided if not 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.” A spokesperson for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office told KCRA 3 earlier this week that the local agency does not have access to immigration status information. The sheriff’s office did not immediately provide a response to Friday’s DHS announcement. California’s sanctuary state law, commonly known as SB 54, limits the ability of local authorities to cooperate with immigration officials when an undocumented immigrant is charged with a crime. “Trying to turn a horrific act of stalking and domestic violence into an indictment of California’s sanctuary policies is not supported by the evidence and distracts from the real issues this case raises: law enforcement preventing stalking and domestic violence, enforcing restraining orders, and keeping victims safe,” said Diana Crofts-Pelayo, spokesperson for Governor Newsom’s office. Investigators said Rohit had no known local criminal history. He had been stalking and harassing Thakur since at least January of this year, according to the sheriff’s department. That’s when he discovered an Apple AirTag under the hood of his car. The sheriff’s office said the harassment and harassment worsened, describing one instance in which Rohit deflated the woman’s vehicle and followed her to work so he could offer her help. Rohit also allegedly obtained a copy of the woman’s apartment key and entered her house while she was sleeping. When the woman found out about this the next morning, the sheriff’s office said Rohit claimed he entered her apartment because he was worried something had happened to her when she didn’t respond. Despite these cases, the sheriff’s office said the woman initially refused to press charges or obtain a restraining order. Detectives remained in contact with the woman for months. 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, officers received a report that Rohit left random grocery items on 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. | MORE | Case of Sacramento woman killed by stalker raises questions about restraining orders The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that Rohit was waiting for Thakur outside Panera Bread near Howe and Northrop avenues. Investigators said he confronted Thakur and chased her as she tried to run before shooting her several times. Witnesses provided investigators with information about Rohit’s vehicle. Officers located him within minutes on eastbound Highway 50 near Watt Avenue with the help of the FLOCK camera system. In an emotional interview with KCRA 3 Thursday night, Thakur’s mother said the system failed to protect her daughter. “The police did not protect my daughter,” he said. See more coverage of California’s top stories here | Download our application | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel.
