The arrest in Mexico marks a major development nearly nine months after the longtime Sikh temple volunteer was abducted from Tracy.
TRACY, CA — One of three men accused in the kidnapping and killing of longtime Sikh temple volunteer Avtar Singh has been arrested in Mexico and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail, authorities said, marking the first arrest in a case that has shaken Tracy’s Sikh community for months.
Alberto Alonso Alencastro, 25, was apprehended with assistance from Mexican federal authorities and the FBI, according to the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office. Alencastro had previously been identified and indicted along with Alfonso Cresencio Segura Arellano, 20, and Barnabe Antonio Segura Arellano, 22. The other two men remained at large as of Sunday. Authorities have said all three were accused in Singh’s kidnapping and killing.
Singh, 57, was abducted Feb. 17 from the Gurdwara Guru Nanak Parkash complex on West Grant Line Road outside Tracy, where he had lived with his wife and their infant triplets. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed three people dressed in dark clothing forcing Singh into a white crossover-style SUV at about 2:30 p.m., according to the Sheriff’s Office. His disappearance was reported later that evening after his wife returned and found that he was gone. The children were found unharmed.
Three days after the abduction, Singh’s body was found in a remote area near Lake Berryessa, more than 100 miles from Tracy. The discovery turned the missing-person investigation into a homicide case and prompted a months-long effort involving investigators in several jurisdictions. Authorities have not publicly released detailed information about how Singh died.
Investigators later concluded that Singh was not the person the abductors had intended to target. Sheriff’s officials have said the intended target was a man who was in Canada at the time and who was connected to a dispute involving a stolen cargo trailer. Detectives traveled to Canada after Singh’s death and learned that the man and his family had received threats connected to the trailer, according to authorities. Investigators have described Singh’s abduction as a case of mistaken identity.
The investigation eventually led detectives to Vallejo. Authorities said license plate reader technology helped trace the white crossover vehicle believed to have been used in the kidnapping. Investigators located and seized the vehicle Feb. 19, two days after Singh was taken. Detectives then spent months reviewing surveillance footage, records and other evidence before announcing in late September that a grand jury had indicted Alencastro, Segura Arellano and Segura Arellano.
The men were indicted on charges that include kidnapping and murder with special circumstances, according to authorities. The charges are allegations, and Alencastro is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Information about his next court appearance was not immediately available in the reports reviewed Sunday. Sheriff’s officials said his arrest followed months of investigative work and coordination among U.S. and Mexican law enforcement agencies.
For members of the Tracy Sikh community, the arrest comes after months of mourning for a man remembered for decades of service at the gurdwara. Singh had been a sevadaar, a volunteer who performs selfless service, for more than 20 years and worked extensively in the temple’s community kitchen. Friends and temple leaders said he also helped with repairs and other day-to-day needs around the property and was known as a dependable presence for worshippers and visitors.
Deep Singh, a spokesperson for the gurdwara, described Avtar Singh earlier this year as sincere and hardworking. The temple community had celebrated the arrival of Singh and his wife’s triplets only months before his death after the babies spent time in the hospital following their premature birth. Community members later raised money to help Singh’s widow and children with funeral costs and other expenses.
Singh’s death drew particular grief because of his long connection to the gurdwara and his role serving meals to others. Memorial services were held in Tracy in March, and remembrances described him as a devoted husband and father whose service and faith were central to his life. His killing has remained a painful presence in the community even as investigators continued working to identify and locate those accused of taking him.
The Sheriff’s Office said the investigation is continuing and credited the FBI and Mexican federal authorities for helping bring Alencastro into custody. Alfonso Cresencio Segura Arellano and Barnabe Antonio Segura Arellano remain wanted. Authorities have asked anyone with information about their whereabouts to contact the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office as investigators continue efforts to arrest the remaining suspects.
Author note: Last updated November 8, 2026.