Man charged with kidnap deaths of California family

A man in California has been charged with kidnapping and murdering a family of four, including an eight-month-old infant.

The family were taken at gunpoint from a trucking business in the city of Merced on 3 October. Their bodies were found last week.

Prosecutors say the suspect, 48-year-old Jesus Salgado, is an ex-employee at the business.

He faces the prospect of life in prison if convicted.

Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke called for Mr Salgado to face the death penalty. The Merced County District Attorney's Office said on Monday, however, that they would not be making a decision on that immediately.

Aside from eight-month-old Aroohi Dheri, the victims include her mother Jasleen Kaur, 27, her father Jasdeep Singh, 36, and her uncle, Amandeep Singh, 39. Their bodies were discovered by a farmhand in Merced County, a rural part of central California.

Surveillance footage that had previously been released by the authorities showed a man loading the family into a pickup truck with zip-tied hands.

According to police, Mr Salgado tried to take his own life the day after the kidnapping before he was taken into custody. Police said his family informed them that he had admitted to being involved in the kidnapping.

He faces four counts of first-degree murder as well as arson and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. At a court appearance on Monday, Mr Salgado did not enter a plea and requested more time to find a lawyer.

He is due back in court on 13 October.

Police said Mr Salgado was convicted of armed robbery in 2005 but was paroled in 2015.

Investigators are yet to establish any links between the suspect and his victims.