A 38-year-old California woman was shot and killed by a 22-year-old DoorDash worker who allegedly stalked her for months after entering the United States illegally in 2023.
Shalini Thakur was gunned down outside a Panera Bread restaurant in Sacramento on the afternoon of September 8, as shocked witnesses looked on.
The suspect, Rohit Rohit, an Indian national who allegedly entered the country illegally and was released by the Biden administration, fled in a vehicle before fatally shooting himself, police said.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Amar Gandhi said the attack occurred shortly before 3 p.m. Rohit approached Thakur outside her workplace at a shopping mall on Howe Avenue and “began to accost her.”
“As the victim attempted to run away, Rohit chased her down, pulled out a firearm, and shot her multiple times,” Gandhi said. “The victim fell to the ground.”
Gandhi said Rohit then approached Thakur as she lay critically wounded on the sidewalk and “shot her in the head at close range.”
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and pursued Rohit’s vehicle as he fled the scene. They soon found him, reporting that he “immediately slammed on his brakes.”
“Deputies attempted to call out the driver for some time, but ultimately discovered that he was deceased from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Lieutenant Gandhi said.
Shalini Thakur (pictured), 38, was shot and killed in broad daylight by a 22-year-old DoorDash worker who allegedly entered the United States illegally in August 2023 and stalked her for several months
The suspect, Rohit Rohit (pictured), an Indian national who allegedly entered the country illegally and was released by the Biden administration, fled in a vehicle before shooting himself inside the car
Homicide detectives later determined that Rohit had harassed and stalked Thakur after meeting her through DoorDash pickups at her workplace.
The alleged harassment began at least as early as January, when Thakur found an Apple AirTag that Rohit had reportedly placed beneath the hood of her car.
Gandhi said Rohit’s behavior became ‘increasingly alarming,’ and on one occasion, he deflated Thakur’s tires and followed her to work so that he could offer her assistance.
Rohit even obtained a copy of her apartment key and entered her home on Sierra Boulevard while she was sleeping. He claimed the next day that he snuck into her home as a welfare check after she did not respond to his messages.
The series of troubling incidents prompted Thakur to obtain a restraining order against Rohit, which he breached in July by dropping off random grocery items at her front door.
The investigation into Thakur’s death is ongoing, and detectives have urged anyone with information about the case to contact them via 916 874 5115.
The victim’s heartbroken mother, Kumari Thakur, said that her husband died two years ago and Thakur was her only child.
‘I am alone in this world,’ Kumari told KCRA 3.
Thakur was gunned down outside the Panera Bread on Howe Avenue in Sacramento, pictured
Thakur, 38, was gunned down outside a Panera Bread in Sacramento during the afternoon of September 8, according to law enforcement. She had been stalked by Rohit for months
Thakur has been remembered by her heartbroken relatives as ‘a caring, loving, selfless, and generous young woman who gave so much of herself to others’
Kumari said she spoke with her daughter over the phone less than an hour before she was gunned down, and they had planned to speak again 15 minutes later.
‘Then she will never come,’ Kumari said through tears. ‘I call her every time, every minute, every hour. I don’t know.’
Kumari said she when she could not get through to her daughter, she sent a series of WhatsApp messages urging her to call back, adding: ‘I am worried about you’.
The grieving mother said police ‘did not protect’ her daughter, even though she filed for ‘restraining order after restraining order’.
Thakur was remembered by her friends and family as ‘a caring, loving, selfless, and generous young woman who gave so much of herself to others’.
‘She was always willing to support people in need, and her kindness left a lasting impact on so many lives,’ they wrote on a fundraising page for her funeral expenses.
‘Her presence mattered deeply to the people who knew and loved her.’
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) blamed Joe Biden’s immigration policies for the tragedy, saying Rohit illegally entered the US via Arizona in August 2023.
Rohit was arrested by US Border Patrol agents, but was ‘released into the country by the Biden administration,’ according to the DHS.
Thakur was on the phone to her mother less than an hour before she died in Sacramento
Rohit was arrested by US Border Patrol agents in Arizona in August 2023, but was ‘released into the country by the Biden administration’, according to the DHS
‘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,’ a DHS spokesperson said.
‘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.’
Rohit managed to pass background checks through Checkr to gain work with DoorDash, by providing a Social Security number, sources told Our News Outlet.
He had not made a delivery in more than six weeks and was not active on the platform on the day of the murder.
A DoorDash spokesperson expressed condolences for Thakur’s family, and said the company is ‘fully cooperating’ with police as they investigate the case.
”This is an unimaginable tragedy, and our hearts are with Ms. Thakur’s family and loved ones as they grieve this immense loss,’ the spokesperson said.
‘DoorDash has absolutely zero tolerance for violence or harassment of any kind, and we encourage anyone experiencing unwanted attention to report it directly in the DoorDash app, and to contact local law enforcement if they feel unsafe.
‘We are fully cooperating with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office as they investigate.’
Our News Outlet has reached out to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and the DHS for more information.
