Man sentenced in connection with murder, kidnapping of Merced County family members

A man who authorities say helped in the murder and kidnapping of a Merced County family was sentenced, according to the Merced County District Attorney’s Office.

Alberto Salgado, 42, was sentenced Wednesday in Merced County Superior Court to the maximum term of confinement of three years and eight months for accessory to murder, conspiracy to commit burglary and arson, according to a Merced County District Attorney’s Office.

Authorities said Salgado committed the crimes in connection with the alleged murder of members of the Dheri and Singh family in October 2022.

Alberto Salgado’s brother — Jesus Manuel Salgado, 49, — also was charged for murder and kidnapping.

The four family members — 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her parents, Jasleen Kaur, 27, and Jasdeep Singh, 36, and her uncle, Amandeep Singh, 39 — were allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint from their Merced business on Oct. 3, 2022.

A farmworker found their bodies three days later in a rural area of Merced County, northeast of Dos Palos.

Jesus Salgado pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances. He could face life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty if convicted. According to the Merced County District Attorney’s Office, Jesus Salgado’s case is still in the pre-trial stages.