Kumra Slaying: Victim Blindfolded, Gagged Before Dying

Slain Monte Sereno businessman Raveesh Kumra was blindfolded and gagged by his assailants before dying early morning Nov. 30 in his home on Withey Road, records released Friday by the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office reveal.

His wife, Harinder Kumra, called 911 at 1:36 a.m. Nov. 30 to report that the attackers had broken into their Withey Road residence and tied up her husband, who was dead as a result of the crime, according to the records.

After being severely beaten, Harinder Kumra was taken to an area hospital, but Raveesh, whom friends called "Ravi," was declared dead at the scene, the records say.

The suspects used packaging tape to blindfold and gag him, tying his hands and feet in the back. His wife was assaulted in her bedroom, being hit in the mouth and also being bound with tape.

"Be quiet if you want to live," the suspects told Harinder Kumra who was dragged to the home's kitchen where her husband's body lay, according to the records.

Criminalists who assisted Los Gatos Monte Sereno police with the case found tape used by the suspects to tie up the couple, and after lab work was done on the evidence, a DNA hit on one of the pieces of tape was matched to one of the three men arrested in the case—Deangelo J. Austin, 21, of Oakland.

A police records search on Austin showed he was part of a criminal street gang in Oakland called "The Money Team," and that the gang has committed home invasions targeting Asian and East Indian families, the records say.

A total of four suspects are being held at the Santa Clara County Jail in connection to the crime—Austin,

Hiring Prostitutes

After police spoke to Raveesh Kumra's friends and family they learned that he "frequently hired prostitutes," according to the records.

"The victim would bring them to his house when his wife was not home and met them at friends' houses or at hotels in Los Gatos. He would have his assistant help with picking them up and take them to the hotel in Los Gatos or bring them to the victim's house ..."

Dixon was named along with two other alleged prostitutes who had contact and spent time with Kumra at his home and at Los Gatos hotels. One of the alleged prostitutes mentioned in the documents is Austin's sister and lives in Oakland, records state.

A forensic examination of Kumra's laptop revealed a backed-up copy of Dixon's cell phone from April 2012. Inside those files were photos of Kumra's home, property, grounds, including gates and fences.

A review of Kumra's Google Voice account showed that Dixon attempted to contact him almost every month from June until November, 2012 and on Nov. 14, 2012, she contacted Kumra for the last time "saying she wanted to party with the victim."

On Dec. 18, Dixon was interviewed by police and denied being a prostitute, ever being in Los Gatos or Monte Sereno, knowing anyone from the two towns, and knowing Kumra. She also denied having any knowledge of photos police showed her from her cell phone, according to the records.

" ... In my opinion ... this homicide was carried out in association with, for the benefit and/or at the direction of the 'Money Team,'" Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Detective Corporal Erin Lunsford said in the statement.

Lunsford and LGMSPD Detective Daniel Accardo attended Kumra's autopsy which revealed fingernail scrapings and fingernail cuttings from the victim's hands, which matched the DNA of Anderson, the records say.

Other evidence found in the home by authorities included a pile of used latex gloves from the kitchen sink, a piece of tape on pants on the flloor near Kumra's body, an empty tape roll and "other items of evidentiary value."

DNA recovered from fingernail cuttings and scrapings matched Anderson and Garcia's DNA, according to police and Garcia's police records search determined him to be a member of a criminal street gang in Oakland called "Ghost Town," which is associated with and commit crimes with "The Money Team."

"It has been determined that these two street gangs are concerned with making money ... They enter into the homes, tie the victims up and ransack the homes. It was reported that this gang typically commits these types of crimes with four people, three go inside the house and one remains outside as the lookout and getaway driver."

—Los Gatos Patch will continue to update this story as it studies additional homicide investigation records related to this case.

—For comprehensive coverage of the Raveesh 'Ravi' Kumra murder case, please see our topic page by clicking here.