Wealthy tech executive kidnapped, killed: Sheriff

The body found Tuesday has been identified as 50-year-old Tushar Atre.

October 3, 2019, 2:02 PM

A wealthy tech executive has been found dead after he was kidnapped from his Northern California home, authorities said.

Tushar Atre, 50, was taken from his Santa Cruz home around 3 a.m. Tuesday and put into his own 2008 BMW SUV, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office.

Atre's body and car were found later on Tuesday in Los Gatos, the sheriff's office said.

His death was ruled a homicide but authorities have not released how he died.

The body was found near the vehicle, which was located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, ABC San Francisco station KGO reported.

PHOTO:  A wealthy tech executive has been found dead after he was kidnapped from his Northern California home.
A wealthy tech executive has been found dead after he was kidnapped from his Northern California home.
KGO

Robbery is believed to be the motive, according to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office said it appears to be an isolated incident.

PHOTO: Tushar Atre in an undated photo provided by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office. Authorities say the 50-year-old owner of a digital marketing company was abducted on Oct. 1, 2019, from his home in Santa Cruz, Calif.
Tushar Atre in an undated photo provided by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office. Authorities say the 50-year-old owner of a digital marketing company was abducted on Oct. 1, 2019, from his home in Santa Cruz, Calif., and the man's white BMW was later located along with a dead body, which has not been identified.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office via AP

Atre was a millionaire tech executive, a CEO and founder of Atrenet, according to SF Gate.

Atrenet creates and maintains websites for Silicon Valley tech companies and has clients including Hewlett Packard and Deloitte Consulting.

SF Gate described Atre's house as a multi-million dollar home.

Anyone with information is asked to call Sgt. Jacob Ainsworth of the sheriff's office at 831-454-7635.