The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department on Friday identified the victim and suspects in the fatal Chino Hills kidnapping shooting while also releasing new details in the case.
The victim was identified as Shukur Aikebaer, 60, of Chino Hills and the two suspects as Jianquan Bo, 66, and Zhengfeng Bo, 67, who was shot and killed by deputies.
The sheriff’s department said the suspects, who were not related but knew each other, shared a home in Irvine, where investigators executed a search warrant.
A motive for the shooting has not been revealed, but authorities released more details about the shooting incident.
Authorities said in a written statement that Aikebaer was inside the home Wednesday night during a power outage, prompting him to go outside. At that moment, Zhengfeng Bo and Jinaquan Bo allegedly shot him once and kidnapped him by shoving him into the trunk of a car.
Gloria Orejel, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, told The Times that responding deputies spotted a Nissan with Oregon license plates speeding away from the scene.
The deputies tried to stop the vehicle, but Orejel said they were unaware at the time that a kidnapping was underway.
The driver, she said, led deputies on a mile-long pursuit that ended in the 2400 block of Wandering Ridge Drive, where the deputies ordered the driver and a passenger out of the vehicle.
“The passenger did comply,” Orejel said. “However, the driver exited the vehicle, approached the trunk of the suspect vehicle and fired a shot into a victim that was inside the trunk.”
Deputies then shot the driver and initiated lifesaving measures on the driver and the victim, who were both pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities said Jianquan Bo was not injured and was taken into custody. He was booked on suspicion of murder and kidnapping.
Investigators said they’re looking into the circumstances surrounding the power outage.
In an interview with the New York Times, family friend Adam Nijiati said that Aikebaer was part of a small Uyghur community where he resided with his wife and three daughters.
“He is very modest, like the kindest guy you could ever meet in your lifetime,” Mr. Nijiati told the Times, adding, “He’s not that rich, to be honest. I don’t know why would somebody just try to kidnap him.”
