Infant and her parents are among 4 people kidnapped from California family business, officials say

An infant and her parents were kidnapped in Merced County, California, on Monday, by a person that authorities described as armed and dangerous.

A fourth relative was also taken from a family business in an unincorporated community in the Central Valley community, the Merced County Sheriff's Office said.

“We have a low-life out there that kidnapped an 8-month-old baby, her mom, her dad and her uncle,” Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said in a statement Monday night. “We have no motivation behind it, we just know that they are gone.”

The infant, Aroohi Dheri, her parents Jasleen Kaur, 27, and Jasdeep Singh, 36, as well as the uncle, Amandeep Singh, 39, "were taken against their will from a business" on South Highway 59, a roadway lined with retailers and restaurants, officials said. They did not reveal the name of the business.

Warnke said authorities believe whoever was behind the kidnapping destroyed evidence to cover their tracks.

"So far as I know no contact has been made, no ransom demands, nothing, from the suspects in this," he said. "We need your help."

The sheriff's office released images late Monday of a man in a black and gray hoodie and a surgical mask believed to be a suspect in the kidnapping.

Detectives were canvassing the area and aircraft were searching for evidence, Warnke said, urging anyone with information to come forward.

There were no updates on the hunt as of early Tuesday morning, Deputy Sheriff Alexandra Britton told NBC News.

"We consider the suspect to be armed and dangerous," the sheriff's office said in a statement Monday. "If you see this person, please call 911 and do not approach him or the victims."