Infant And Parents Among 4 Family Members Kidnapped By 'Armed And Dangerous' Suspect

Four family members, including an 8-month-old baby and her parents, were kidnapped from a family-run business in California.

The suspect behind the Monday abduction is believed to be "armed and dangerous," authorities said.

The Merced County Sheriff's Office is searching for the four family members, who "were taken against their will from a business" in an unincorporated community in Central Valley. The family-run business is located among a number of retailers and restaurants lined up on the roadway, according to NBC News.

The baby among the kidnapped victims was identified as Aroohi Dheri. The baby's mother Jasleen Kaur, 27, her father Jasdeep Singh, 36, and her uncle Amandeep Singh, 39, are the remaining three victims, the report said.

It is unclear whether the family knew the kidnapper before the incident took place. Investigators also did not immediately find a motive behind the abduction.

The suspects destroyed evidence to prevent them from being tracked, investigators added, according to KCRA 3.

"The Merced County Sheriff's Office asking the public's help in locating four missing persons who were kidnapped from the South Merced Area of Merced County," the sheriff's office wrote in a statement on Facebook.

"Investigators are currently in the early stages of their investigation," the sheriff's office added.

Officials also released a picture of a suspect, described as "a light-complected male with a shaved head."

"He was last seen wearing a hoodie. We consider the suspect to be armed and dangerous," the sheriff's office said. "If you see this person, please call 9.1.1. and do not approach him or the victims."

"We're asking that anyone with information regarding the identity of this suspect to contact the Merced County Sheriff's Office Investigations Bureau at 209.385.7445," the sheriff's office added.

An unrelated incident was reported earlier this month after a 28-year-old man in Colorado was charged with second-degree kidnapping. Diego James Gettler was accused of trying to kidnap a 10-year-old girl outside her school in Thornton. He fled the scene after the child managed to escape. Gettler's parents later turned him in after seeing surveillance footage that identified him as a suspect and found that the description of the suspect's vehicle matched the car their son was driving.