Man who stalked Sacramento woman kills her before taking his own life
A 22-year-old man who had been harassing Shalini Thakur for months shot her outside a Panera in Sacramento and then died by suicide, authorities said.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s officials said 22-year-old Rohit Rohit shot 39-year-old Shalini Thakur multiple times outside a Panera bakery on Tuesday and then shot himself after police located his vehicle. A bystander captured the suspect’s license plate and called 911, enabling deputies to track the car on Highway 50, Sheriff Jim Cooper said in a video released by the department.
Investigators said Rohit had been stalking Thakur since at least January, placing an Apple AirTag on her car, deflating her tires, following her to work, and copying her apartment key to enter while she slept. Thakur obtained a civil harassment restraining order in May, but Rohit allegedly violated it in July by leaving groceries at her door. Deputies said they had probable cause to arrest him for the violation but could not locate him at the time.
According to court filings, the harassment escalated from September 2025, with Rohit parking near her home for hours and threatening self-harm or violence against people she met. Thakur’s mother, Sudesh Kumari, told local media that the protective system had failed her daughter.
Rohit, an Indian national who entered the United States illegally through Arizona in August 2023, was previously detained by U.S. Border Patrol and later released, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said.
A fundraising campaign described Thakur as a caring and generous individual, noting her impact on friends and community.