Fresno County Sheriff's deputies have arrested 21 year old Amritraj Singh Athwal of Modesto and booked him into the Fresno County Jail. Athwal was originally booked on weapons, narcotics and DUI charges, but it was later determined that he was responsible for a murder in Madera County, so that charge has since been added to his record.
Shortly before 11:00 pm on November 13th, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a possible shooting at the Tackle Box gas station and mini mart on Road 26. When deputies arrived, they discovered an employee had been fatally shot during an apparent robbery. The man was later identified as 20 year old Dharampreet Singh Jassar of Caruthers.
Detectives reviewed surveillance video and it revealed two men entered the store, stole cash and two large boxes of cigarettes. As they were leaving, one of the suspects fired several shots, one of which struck the employee and killed him. Suspect #1 was wearing a black jacket, gray pants, socks and no shoes, with a blue bandana over his face and was armed with a silver revolver. Suspect #2 was wearing a black “Reebok” sweatshirt, black pants, black and white shoes, with a white bandana over his face and possibly glasses. Both suspects wore gloves.
Surveillance video also revealed that a man in a white Acura two door vehicle pulled up to the front of the store during the robbery, then backed out and drove away. Investigators believe this man may have seen one of the suspects near the door, realized a crime was occurring and left the area. This man may have also seen the suspects’ vehicle, possibly near the gas pumps. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office is asking this man to come forward with any information he may have about this crime.
Meanwhile, around 12:30 am on November 14, a Fresno County Sheriff’s deputy on patrol in the Kerman area, noticed a red Toyota pickup truck on the side of the road, which appeared to be stuck in the dirt near Ashlan Ave. and Madera Ave. The deputy checked on the driver (later identified as Amritraj Singh Athwal) and observed that the man may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The deputy also saw a .22 caliber assault pistol in plain view on the floorboard, so the deputy detained Athwal. A search of the vehicle revealed a second handgun, which was an unregistered .38 caliber revolver. A records check showed the .22 caliber assault pistol had been reported stolen.
The next morning, deputies involved in the arrest of Athwal were checking news headlines and became aware of the robbery and murder at the Tackle Box store. The deputies believed there were similarities between Athwal and the man wearing the blue bandana, who was shown in a surveillance photo taken during the robbery. The deputies contacted detectives at the Madera County Sheriff's Office and suggested they take a closer look at Athwal, whom they had just booked in jail. Detectives found evidence to show that Athwal was responsible for the robbery and shooting. Madera County deputies obtained an arrest warrant for Athwal and added a murder charge to his record. He will later be transferred to the Madera County Department of Corrections.
On Wednesday, Madera County Sheriff Jay Varney expressed his appreciation for the assistance of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office as well as his condolences to the family of Dharampreet Jassar. Sheriff Varney also said, “Dharampreet was a completely innocent victim, just doing his job, when he was senselessly killed during this robbery.”
This case shows the great partnership and communication level between two neighboring policing agencies. It also highlights how law enforcement officers must pay attention to more than just their own task at hand. They need to listen to other deputies' calls for service and keep an eye on news bulletins because they never know when they have information and insight that can help someone else. That's exactly what happened in this case and it resulted in taking a dangerous person off the streets.
Detectives continue to search for the second suspect and any further information related to this case. Athwal’s vehicle was stored and will be processed for evidence. The .38 caliber gun recovered is believed to have been used as the murder weapon during the Tackle Box robbery. Anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact the Madera County Sheriff’s Office at 559-675-7770 or Valley Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867. You will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
