NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
San Jose, CA., May 13, 2026: A 20-year-old Indian-origin man who disappeared after being dropped off near San José State University has been found dead, bringing a heartbreaking end to a three-day search that drew widespread attention from the local community.
Arnav Singh, a resident of Palo Alto and a recent graduate of Henry M. Gunn High School, was reported missing on May 5 after his parents dropped him near the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library in downtown San Jose, according to university police. Authorities said Singh was last seen near the intersection of Fourth Street and East San Fernando Street, close to the shared university-public library. Police later clarified that Singh was not a current student at San José State, though family members said he had planned to begin classes there this fall after taking a gap year.
When Singh failed to return home that evening and could not be reached, his parents contacted police. A search effort involving university police, local officers, volunteers, and search-and-rescue teams was launched across multiple parts of San Jose.
On May 8, at approximately 1:14 p.m., officers responded to the 700 block of Phelan Avenue, about two miles from the university campus, where Singh’s body was discovered. Authorities said personnel from the Santa Clara County Search and Rescue team, university police, and the San Jose Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue unit assisted in recovering the body.
In a statement, the San José Police Department said the preliminary investigation found “no obvious signs of injury or foul play.”
The exact cause and manner of death have not yet been released. The case is now being investigated by the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office, which said it is continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding Singh’s death.
Authorities have not publicly explained how Singh ended up near Phelan Avenue or what occurred in the days between his disappearance and the discovery of his body.
News of Singh’s death has sent shockwaves through the Bay Area’s Indian American community, where volunteers had spent days helping search for the missing young man. Police said the investigation remains ongoing.
