A family of 4 is missing after being ‘taken against their will’ in central California, officials say

(CNN) — Police are searching for a suspect they say kidnapped four members of a family in Merced County, California, Monday, investigators said.

The missing family includes 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her parents Jasleen Kaur and Jasdeep Singh as well as the child’s uncle Amandeep Singh, the Merced County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Facebook.

The family is believed to have been “taken against their will” while at a business in the 800 block of South Highway 59 in Merced, which is in central California between Modesto and Fresno.

“We have no motivation behind it. We just know they are gone,” Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said in a video message posted on Facebook.

A vehicle owned by one of the family members was found on fire late Monday, which led law enforcement to determine that the four had been kidnapped.

“We’ve got evidence to indicate that the individuals involved in this destroyed evidence in an attempt to cover up their tracks,” Warnke said.

The sheriff implored people to come forward with any information they may have related to the kidnapping, saying there has been no known contact for ransom.

“It’s imperative that we get some information on this,” Warnke said. “People are going to be working 24 hours on this until we get a break.”

The suspect is described as a man with a shaved head and was last seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt, the sheriff’s office said. He is considered armed and dangerous, officials added.

The sheriff’s office on Tuesday offered a brief timeline of events:

• At 11:39 a.m. Monday, California Highway Patrol officers responded to a 2020 Dodge Ram on fire and asked the Merced Police Department to help track down the vehicle’s owner.
• At 12:35 p.m. Monday, Merced police officers arrived at the truck owner’s address and met with a family member at that location. They attempted to contact the three adults, but were unable to reach them.
• At 1:04 p.m. Monday, the Merced County Sheriff’s Office responded to a business on South Highway 59.

“During the primary investigation, Detectives determined that the individuals were kidnapped,” the sheriff’s office stated.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice have joined the investigation, the sheriff’s office said Tuesday.