Two cousins are suspects in the killing of a convenience store clerk. Both are now in jail

A second man is in jail in connection to the murder of a convenience store clerk in Madera in November.

Madera County Sheriff Jay Varney said late Friday that Savirant Singh Athwal, 24, was arrested and booked into the Madera County Department of Corrections with no bail. He is being held on charges of murder and robbery.

According to Varney, Athwal is a suspect in the death of Dharampreet Singh Jassar, a 20-year-old clerk at the Tackle Box store who was gunned down Nov. 13.

Hours after the murder, a Fresno County Sheriff’s deputy arrested Armitraj Singh Athwal, 21, of Modesto, who deputies later determined was connected to the murder. He had driven off the road near Kerman before he was arrested. The sheriff’s office later determined the Singh Athwals to be cousins.

In addition to a .22-caliber assault pistol that had been reported stolen and drugs that were found inside the younger Singh Athwal’s truck, sheriff’s deputies also found a blue bandanna that had been spotted in surveillance footage from the robbery at the Tackle Box store. They also believe a .38-caliber gun found in the car was used in the murder. After the shooting, the suspects robbed the store of big boxes of cigarettes and some cash, according to the sheriff’s office.

The younger Singh Athwal was arrested Nov. 15 on suspicion of DUI and for having multiple guns and drugs in the car. When he was booked in jail, he faced robbery and murder charges with a bail set at $1 million.

Madera County prosecutors added special allegations against the younger Singh Athwal, which could lead to life in prison without the possibility of parole or even the death penalty.

“Based upon the facts that have been reported to us from law enforcement, we believe that either life without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty, is the appropriate sentence in this case,” Madera County District Attorney David Linn said on Dec. 7.

Varney said the murder, which he called a “cowardly,” continues to be investigated.

This story was originally published December 16, 2017 at 10:59 AM with the headline "Two cousins are suspects in the killing of a convenience store clerk. Both are now in jail."