Jagjit Singh’s family had taken loans from relatives to send him to the United States over a year ago.
Jagjit Singh’s family had taken loans from relatives to send him to the United States over a year ago.
MODESTO, Calif. (Diya TV) — The regular customers of Modesto’s Hatch Food and Gas are still frequently flowing in and out of the convenience store, but those inside are finding it hard to man the counter there.
It has only been days, after all, since Jagjit Singh, an employee of the service station, was stabbed to death just outside of the business. They say, just for doing his job.
“‘Show your ID. No have ID good.’ Told the guy…’no good…so no buy cigarette,'” clerk Sukhwynder Singh told local affiliate Fox40.
According to Singh’s account of events, the store’s surveillance system captured images of a black car and images of the customer turned killer, who Singh says cussed out his co-worker while leaving. The outburst apparently over being asked for an ID. Singh said the customer returned to the store in an angry fashion, 30 minutes later just before midnight, and took the clerk’s life when he walked outside.
“Paramedics responded because an employee had collapsed and they thought this to be a medical issue,” said Officer Eric Schuller with Modesto police. “When they arrived on scene they found that this employee has actually been stabbed.”
Former coworkers of Jagjit said he was a husband and father, he had only been on the payroll of the store for one month in hopes of supporting his family back in India.
“He’s a hard worker, hard-working nice guy…no problems, very calm, everything, he never was threatening, never yelled at a customer,” Monica Rodriguez, a clerk at the store, said. “He was a real good guy.”
Investigators are turning to the public to find justice for Jagjit.
“We would like the public’s help,” Schuller said. “If there’s anybody out there who heard anything or has heard anything since we would appreciate them to contact the Modesto Police Department so they can help us out here.”
“It’s just a very sad situation what happened to him because nobody deserves that over something so small,” Rodriguez said.
