Suspect in Sacramento stalking case dies after highway standoff
A 22-year-old man who had been accused of stalking a woman for months shot her outside a Panera Bread before killing himself during a police confrontation on Highway 50.
Sacramento County deputies engaged a 22-year-old male suspect in a standoff on Highway 50 on Wednesday, after he shot a 38-year-old woman outside a Panera Bread in the city. The sheriff's office said the suspect, identified as Rohit Rohit, had been stalking the woman since at least January, including placing an Apple AirTag under her car, deflating her tire, following her to work, and entering her apartment while she slept. Although the woman initially declined to press charges, she later obtained a restraining order in May. On July 29, deputies reported the suspect violated the order by leaving groceries at her doorstep.
On the day of the killing, the suspect parked near the Panera location, approached the woman, and shot her multiple times before delivering a close-range headshot as she tried to flee. Witnesses and a nearby camera system helped deputies locate the suspect, who was later confronted on eastbound Highway 50 at Watt Avenue. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during the encounter. The incident prompted a temporary shutdown of the highway while investigators processed the scene.
"We urged the victim to obtain a restraining order and continued to monitor the situation," Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper said.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not released the victim's name.