CA woman shot and killed by man allegedly stalking her for months: 'She could have been saved'
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A Sacramento family wants answers after a woman was killed by a man police say stalked her for months.
Her family says repeated warnings to law enforcement went unanswered.
Authorities say 38-year-old Shalini Thakur was shot and killed outside a Panera Bread by 22-year-old Rohit Rohit, who was allegedly stalking her.
Video of the incident shows Rohit approaching Thakur, chasing her and then opening fire, according to authorities.
Investigators said Rohit allegedly placed an Apple AirTag under the hood of Thakur's car to track her movements. Police also said Thakur reported that the suspect obtained a key to her home and entered while she was sleeping.
Thakur secured a restraining order in May, but investigators say Rohit violated it in July and was never located by authorities.
Thakur's mother, Sudesh Kumari, said her daughter repeatedly sought help before the shooting.
"She could have been saved," Kumari said. "She told police so many times. She called them, but nobody did anything."
According to the sheriff's office, Thakur and Rohit were once friends. Thakur worked at IHOP, and Rohit worked as a DoorDash delivery driver. Authorities said his behavior later changed and that he allegedly made threats against Thakur.
Homeland Security confirmed that Rohit entered the United States from India in 2023 and was in the country illegally. Authorities said he was arrested by Border Patrol and later released.
Immigration attorney Raissa Morris said that release was consistent with standard procedures for some migrants arriving from distant countries.
"That was a normal process, especially because he was coming from India...If he had been coming from Mexico, it would be something else, but he was coming so far away that usually what they do is release them and allow them to go to court," Morris said.
Police said Rohit died by suicide after the shooting. His immigration status was not immediately clear, and officials said he had no known criminal history in the area.
The killing has prompted renewed questions from Thakur's family about whether more could have been done to protect her after her reports to law enforcement and the issuance of a restraining order.
ABC7 Eyewitness News contributed to this story.
