Exemployees of executive held in killing

Two former employees of a Santa Cruz tech executive’s cannabis business were among four suspects arrested on suspicion of robbing and killing the entrepreneur, authorities said Thursday.

The suspects are Joshua Camps, 23, and Kurtis Charters, 22, both of Lancaster (Los Angeles County); Stephen Lindsay, 22, of Burbank; and Kaleb Charters, 19, of St. Clair Shores, Mich., according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’s Office.

Three were booked into county jail on suspicion of murder, robbery and kidnapping in connection with the October killing of 50yearold Tushar Atre, officials said. The fourth suspect was being extradited from Michigan and was expected to be booked this week.

Lindsay and Kaleb Charters were employed by Atre at his cannabis business, officials said. Kaleb and Kurtis Charters are brothers, and

Camps is an associate of the group.

None of the suspects had a criminal history, according to the Sheriff ’s Office.

With the help of local sheriff ’s and police departments, arrest warrants were served Tuesday in Michigan and Southern California. Each of the men was taken into custody at or near their home.

The men allegedly kidnapped Atre shortly before 3 a.m. on Oct. 1 from his home on Pleasure Point Drive, before driving him in Atre’s white BMW to a property on Soquel San Jose Road. Deputies found Atre’s body the next morning.

Atre founded a web design company called AtreNet and ran a cannabis business.

Lt. Brian Cleveland of the Sheriff ’s Office said officials believe the motive was robbery and the crime was planned, although it remains unclear what the suspects wanted to steal from Atre.

“They were after monetary gain, and that’s why we believe this crime occurred,” Cleveland said.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart praised the efforts of detectives, forensic experts and other law enforcement agencies involved in the case.

“We butted up against a lot of closed doors over the last seven or eight months,” Hart said. “Every time that happened, our investigators found somewhere else to go with this case . ... (It) was solved by outstanding police work.”

The Sheriff ’s Office expected to present the case to the Santa Cruz district attorney’s office this week.