Unrequited love turns to obsessive stalking; unlicensed man chases down and attempts to kill victim in the street.

On a California street, a woman was running desperately with a young man named Rohit Rohit in pursuit. When she collapsed from exhaustion, the man approached and shot her in the head at close range—an act resembling a public “execution-style” killing. Police confirmed the assailant was an undocumented Indian immigrant who had previously entered the U.S. illegally via Arizona; although he was arrested by the Border Patrol, he was subsequently released.

According to reports from ABC, CNN, and other media outlets, the tragedy unfolded around 3 p.m. on the 8th outside a Panera Bread bakery in California. The victim was 38-year-old Shalini Thakur; photos released by the media show a striking woman. After the shooting, the 22-year-old suspect, Rohit, fled the scene; witnesses photographed his vehicle and immediately called 911. Minutes later, police located the suspect’s car and pulled it over. Rohit refused to exit the vehicle as ordered and ultimately took his own life by shooting himself inside the car.

Reports indicate that this was not a random killing but the culmination of months of stalking. Shalini worked as a server at a restaurant; Rohit first targeted her while picking up a takeout order, subsequently subjecting her to relentless harassment.

Court documents reveal that Rohit frequently parked outside Shalini’s home for hours, threatening to kill himself or harm others she encountered. He secretly attached an Apple AirTag to her car to monitor her movements daily. On one occasion, he intentionally punctured her tire so he could follow her and “offer help.” Another time, he made an unauthorized copy of her apartment key and entered while she was asleep, claiming he was worried about her safety.

In May of this year, the court granted a restraining order requested by Shalini, requiring Rohit to stay away from her home and workplace. On July 29, Shalini reported that someone had left items at her doorstep; police investigation linked the incident to Rohit, but they were unable to locate him at the time. According to Shalini’s mother, Sudesh Kumari, the two spoke by phone about an hour before her daughter was killed on September 8. At approximately 1:58 p.m., Shalini told her mother she would call back in 15 minutes, but that call never came. Kumari stated that her daughter had previously sought police assistance and applied for a restraining order, yet ultimately failed to escape an attack by her stalker.