California Woman Killed by Stalker Who Tracked Her with Apple AirTag, Authorities Confirm

POLICY WIRE — Sacramento, United States — A 38-year-old woman was fatally shot in the street by a man who had stalked her for months, according to authorities.

Shalini Thakur was killed on September 8 outside a Panera Bread restaurant in Sacramento by 22-year-old Rohit, who was living in the U.S. illegally. He arrived before Thakur and confronted her, leading to the fatal shooting as she fled.

Rohit reportedly shot Thakur multiple times before approaching her body and firing a final shot to the head. Deputies later located his vehicle using the Flock system and attempted to stop him, but he died by self-inflicted gunshot at the scene. An investigation revealed that Rohit had been following and harassing Thakur since January, including placing an Apple AirTag on her car to track her movements.

Thakur’s mother, Sudesh Kumari, said her daughter repeatedly reported the harassment to police, but no action was taken. Despite being given a key to her apartment and entering while she slept, Rohit claimed concern for her well-being. Authorities urged Thakur to seek a restraining order, which she eventually agreed to, but it was violated when Rohit left groceries at her door in July.

Rohit, who entered the U.S. from India in 2023, was arrested by Border Patrol and released, a process considered standard for immigrants from non-border countries. DoorDash confirmed he had signed up using a Social Security number and passed background checks, though he had not worked in over six weeks. Video footage of the shooting shows the suspect standing over Thakur after she fell to the ground.

A funeral for Thakur was held on Monday, with only her mother and uncle present, as other family members reside in India. The Department of Homeland Security and DoorDash have not yet responded to requests for comment.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)