Man who died in Sacramento County Highway 50 standoff had stalked woman he executed, sheriff says
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
The man who killed himself during a standoff with Sacramento deputies along Highway 50 had been stalking a woman for months before executing her outside a Panera Bread, officials said Wednesday.
| VIDEO ABOVE | Highway 50 shutdown: LiveCopter 3’s minute-by-minute view of the standoff
A news release from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as 22-year-old Rohit Rohit. He is believed to have stalked and harassed the 38-year-old woman, who has not yet been identified, since at least January of this year. That’s when she discovered an Apple AirTag under her car’s hood.
The sheriff’s office said the harassment and stalking worsened, describing one instance in which Rohit deflated the woman’s vehicle and followed her to work so he could offer her help. Rohit also allegedly got a copy of the woman’s apartment key and entered her home while she was sleeping.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office
When the woman learned of this the following morning, the sheriff’s office said Rohit claimed he entered her apartment out of concern that something had happened to her when she did not answer.
Despite these instances, the sheriff’s office said the woman initially declined to pursue charges or get a restraining order. Detectives stayed in contact with the woman for months.
In May, the sheriff’s office said deputies spoke with the woman and urged her again to get a restraining order, which she did. On July 29, deputies got a report that Rohit dropped off random grocery store items at the woman’s front door, which violated the restraining order.
The sheriff’s office said it learned that on the day of the deadly shooting, Rohit parked his vehicle just before 3 p.m. at the Panera parking lot at Northrop and Howe avenues, which is where the woman would ultimately be dropped off.
Rohit approached the woman and started accosting her, the sheriff’s office said. As the woman tried to run away, Rohit chased her down, pulled out a gun and shot her multiple times. After she fell to the ground, Rohit shot her in the head at close range.
Rohit fled afterward, but Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper said deputies were able to track him down within minutes with help from witnesses and Flock’s camera system.
Deputies confronted Rohit on eastbound Highway 50 at Watt Avenue, where Rohit ultimately shot himself to death. The crime scene shut down the highway for hours while deputies investigated.
Help for those in crisis is available at the 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Text messages can also be sent to the three-digit number.
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