Shankar Hangud is the central California man accused of killing four members of his family before driving to a police station with one of the dead bodies in the vehicle.
Hangud, 53, is from Roseville, California. Police said Hangud drove around with one of the victims in his vehicle before ending up in Mount Shasta, a city located about 250 miles north of Roseville. Hangud walked into the police department on October 14, 2019. He confessed to officers that he had killed the man in his vehicle along with three other people whose bodies were in his apartment.
Officials have not yet determined a motive. Hangud was booked into the Placer County Jail.
The Placer County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to Heavy that Hangud was being held without bail. An arraignment hearing has been scheduled for October 25.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Investigators Say the Four Victims Were Killed Over a Six-Day Period
Shankar Hangud vehicle
Shankar Hangud has been charged with four counts of murder. Roseville Police initially stated that it appeared that “the victims were killed by this suspect over a few days time span.”
Placer County District Attorney Ronald Scott Owens provided more details in a criminal complaint filed on October 16, which you can see in full here.
According to the complaint, investigators believe that two of the victims were killed on October 7. The third victim is believed to have died on October 8.
Felony complaint against Shankar Hangud
The fourth victim is thought to have been killed several days later, on October 13. Police believe Hangud killed the final victim in Siskiyou County, which is where Mount Shasta is located. Hangud turned himself into police there the following day.
Police believe Shankar Hangud acted alone and they have not identified any other suspects. Police Captain Josh Simon explained during a news conference that investigators were piecing together a timeline to determine where Hangud traveled after leaving his apartment with the fourth victim. “Detectives are trying to backtrack to find if there are any other crimes scenes along the path or whatever direction the suspect took to get to the Mount Shasta Police department.”
2. Police Said the Victims Included Two Adults & Two Children
Roseville Police did not immediately release the names and ages of the four victims. But the department did specify that the victims included two adults and two children.
Three of the victims were found at Hangud’s apartment, which was located in the 1800 block of Junction Boulevard in Roseville.
At least one of the victims appears to have been a young teenager. Fox40 in Sacramento published a statement from Dry Creek Schools Superintendent Brad Tooker that read, “It is with a heavy heart I inform you, pending confirmation from authorities, we believe one of the victims in the Carmel at Woodcreek West apartment complex homicide may have been one of our treasured Silverado Middle School students.”
Roseville Police confirmed that the fourth victim, who was found in Hangud’s vehicle, was an adult male “of East Indian descent.”
3. Shankar Hangud Previously Worked as a Data Scientist In Sacramento
Shankar Hangud
Shankar Hangud used to work at a company called Alluma Social Interest Solutions located in downtown Sacramento. According to its website, the company provides consulting services and solutions.
Hangud wrote on his LinkedIn page that his title was “ETL Architect and Manager.” He wrote in the bio section that his responsibilities included “Defining strategy, architecting solutions and managing processes for over 10 years, helping organizations in leveraging technologies to enhance their capabilities with their long-term strategies as well as short term tactical business objectives.”
A spokesperson for Alluma, Katie Tamony, confirmed to CBS Sacramento that Hangud was a former employee. “He worked here for Alluma until 2018. He worked here for two years. It’s very tragic and I feel terrible for his family.”
4. Shankar Hangud Owed More Than $178,000 to the IRS
Shankar Hangud
Shankar Hangud appears to have had financial struggles. According to federal tax records, Hangud owed $178,603.48 to the IRS as of May of 2019 and faced a Federal Tax Lien.
When the IRS places a lien on a property, it means that when the property is sold, the IRS gets paid first. The taxpayer and the mortgage holder (for example, the bank) receives what’s left. It is a matter of public record and is removed once the property owner pays the tax debt.
The IRS explains liens on its website: “A federal tax lien is the government’s legal claim against your property when you neglect or fail to pay a tax debt. The lien protects the government’s interest in all your property, including real estate, personal property and financial assets.”
The tax record indicates that the tax liability dates back to 2012. The lien appears to have been placed on Hangud’s property on May 7, 2019.
5. Hangud Does Not Appear to Have Any Prior Arrests Before the Murder Case
Shankar Hangud
According to the Superior Court of California for Placer County, Shankar Hangud has faced only one charge within the past 40 years. It was merely a traffic violation.
Hangud was pulled over in December of 2016 for speeding. He was ordered to appear in court but based on the public record, he did not show up. (It reads, “Conviction: Guilty in Absentia w/CA”). He was issued a fine of $366.
Hangud’s name also does not come in a database of federal cases.
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