On Wednesday night (29th), at 10 p.m., a kidnapping and shooting case occurred in the Chinese community of Chino Hills in San Bernardino County, Southern California. Two Chinese suspects kidnapped a Uyghur immigrant. After the police intercepted their vehicle, one of the suspects shot and killed the victim in front of the officers and was subsequently shot dead by the police.
Investigators stated that the victim, Shukur Aikebaer, went out to check the power supply box around 10:15 p.m. after experiencing a sudden power outage at his home. According to interviewed neighbors, Aikebaer encountered the kidnappers after leaving his house.
Alan, a resident living opposite Aikebaer’s house, told Epoch Times on Friday morning that around 10:15 p.m. on the 29th, he heard two loud gunshots, initially thinking it was firecrackers. “The sound was very loud, ‘bang! bang!'” he said, and then he heard screams of pain.
He saw a car parked in front of the house across the street backing out, with someone throwing something into the trunk before driving away. Alan, who has lived in the community for over thirty years and always felt it was safe, mentioned that it was the first time he witnessed such a violent crime.
According to the latest police report, the two Chinese suspects are Zhengfeng Bo, 67, and Jianquan Bo, 66, and the victim is Shukur Aikebaer, 60. The deceased suspect was Zhengfeng Bo. It was revealed that the suspects and the victim knew each other from work.
The Chino Hills police received a report and went to the scene at the 2100 block of Monteverde Drive. They spotted the suspects’ vehicle en route and intercepted it. The driver, Zhengfeng Bo, resisted stopping and after a brief pursuit, was stopped on Wandering Ridge Drive.
Jianquan Bo, in the passenger seat, obeyed commands to get out of the car; however, after Zhengfeng Bo got out of the vehicle, he refused to cooperate. He walked towards the open trunk of the car and shot inside it. The police then shot and killed him. An adult male inside the trunk was fatally shot by the suspect.
Attempts were made to provide emergency medical treatment to both men, but they were pronounced dead at the scene. Jianquan Bo was unharmed and was detained at the West Valley Detention Center without bail on charges of murder and kidnapping.
Before the kidnapping, Aikebaer was shot at his residence. Investigators searched a common residence of the two suspects in Irvine and stated that relevant evidence had been collected.
As of Friday morning, law enforcement officers were still on site where the suspects were shot. The case has been handed over to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office for review and prosecution.
Chino Hills and several nearby cities are predominantly inhabited by Chinese residents. Theresa Lee, head of the TACF community organization responsible for volunteer patrols in cities such as Diamond Bar, Walnut, and Rowland Heights, estimated that the suspects’ motives may stem from personal grievances.
The incident took place in an upscale residential area with property prices exceeding a million dollars, with some luxury homes reaching several million.
Theresa Lee expressed concerns despite recent reports showing a decrease in homicide rates in the United States, she believes occasional thefts or overall crime rates still warrant attention. She emphasized the importance of ‘zero tolerance’ towards crime but noted that more efforts were needed to enhance safety.
In relation to the case, Theresa Lee speculated that the suspects did not steal anything valuable but only kidnapped the victim. She suggested that the incident, involving a shooting in front of the police, appeared unrelated to robbery but more likely a targeted killing. She further advised Chinese residents in the US to manage relationships and actions moderately to ensure their safety and that of their families.
A friend of Aikebaer’s family, 40-year-old software engineer Adam Nijiati, told The New York Times that Aikebaer was a member of the Uyghur community, residing with his wife and three daughters in the two-story house.
Nijiati described Aikebaer as “extremely humble, arguably the kindest person you could ever meet,” and noted that he was not wealthy. Aikebaer immigrated to the US from China approximately 15 to 20 years ago and had worked in various industries, including real estate speculation and running a fast-food restaurant in San Diego.
The police urged anyone with information to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Detail at 909-890-4904. Those wishing to report anonymously can call or text “REPORT” to the We-Tip hotline at 844-909-3006 or submit online at https://mobile.catapultems.com/sbcsd/Sites.