‘Violence like this tears a hole into our hearts.’ Final Merced vigil held for slain family

A four-day vigil dedicated to an 8-month-old baby, her parents and an uncle who were killed last week came to a close Sunday evening, as the victims’ family members and the Merced community gathered to grieve at Bob Hart Square.

The bodies of 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her parents Jasleen Kaur and Jasdeep Singh and her uncle Amandeep Singh were found in a rural area last week, after they were kidnapped from their business just outside Merced.

The killings shocked the community, leading hundreds of mourners to come to Bob Hart Square over the last four nights, where photos of the victims were placed on easels amid displays of candles, flowers, and stuffed animals.

“Violence like this tears a hole into our hearts,” said local civil rights activist Valarie Kaur. “And that hole is like a black hole. It sucks in all language and meaning and sense. There are no words in the face of horror as unspeakable as this.”

“When we are looking into that abyss, it becomes so easy to let that darkness swallow us. The only way we don’t fall into the hole is if someone is holding our hand, keeping us steady. That is what I saw in the Dheri family home today,” she added.

Taran Dhillon, a relative of the victims, said the family like many Sikh immigrants came to Merced County from the Punjab region of India, seeking a better future for their children.

“These brothers and this family were building the American dream. They did not know the American dream would be the American nightmare today.”

A GoFundMe account has been set up to assist the victims’ remaining family members. As of Monday, more than $340,000 had been collected.

Merced County Sheriff’s detectives arrested suspect Jesus Manuel Salgado for allegedly abducting and killing the family. He faces four counts of murder and kidnapping.

Salgado’s brother, Albert Salgado, has also been arrested, accused of being an accessory and destroying evidence.

This story was originally published October 10, 2022 at 2:14 PM with the headline "‘Violence like this tears a hole into our hearts.’ Final Merced vigil held for slain family."