A 32-year-old woman from Kerala has been charged with two murders in the United States after she allegedly stabbed one friend inside a San Jose home and deliberately ran over another with an SUV in nearby Milpitas on the same day.
Anila Baby, originally from Kottayam, is accused of killing Ann Mathew, 39, and Anjana Hari, 35, on August 28. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office filed murder charges against Baby on September 8.
According to court documents cited by US broadcaster KRON4, Hari was walking through the parking lot of the Mill Creek Apartments in Milpitas shortly before noon when she was struck by a blue Toyota Highlander.
The SUV subsequently hit three parked vehicles before leaving the scene. Hari suffered fatal head injuries and was pronounced dead.
Witness Says There Was No Apparent Argument
A witness told police that Hari had approached the SUV as though she was about to get inside.
According to the witness, Hari appeared happy and friendly with the driver and there was no visible argument between the two women before the incident.
The witness said the SUV suddenly accelerated from a stationary position after Hari walked in front of it.
Investigators reportedly found no tyre marks at the scene suggesting that the driver had attempted to brake.
Hari and Baby both lived at the Mill Creek Apartments on Dixon Landing Road. Relatives and friends told investigators that the two women were close friends.
Second Woman Found Dead in San Jose Home
Around two hours later, at 1.53 pm, San Jose Police responded to a report of suspicious circumstances at a house in the 700 block of Linda Vista Street.
Officers found 39-year-old Ann Mathew unconscious inside the property with unexplained injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The San Jose Police homicide unit later determined that Mathew had suffered at least one stab wound.
Investigators said Mathew and Baby knew each other.
Mathew was originally from Thiruvananthapuram, while Hari was from Thrissur.
Relatives told investigators that Mathew, Hari and Baby had attended an Onam celebration and watched a film together the previous day.
Accused Found Inside Damaged SUV
Later on August 28, officers from the Milpitas Police Department found Baby inside her damaged SUV near a Walgreens store, less than a mile from the apartment complex where Hari was killed.
According to the police report cited by KRON4, Baby had blood on her arms and legs and appeared to have suffered injuries.
She was reportedly incoherent and unable to answer questions before being taken into custody.
Prosecutors Charge Baby With Both Murders
San Jose Police initially investigated Mathew’s death as a separate case and identified Baby as a suspect.
As investigators examined the evidence surrounding both deaths, prosecutors linked Baby to the two cases.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office subsequently charged her with the murders of both Ann Mathew and Anjana Hari.
The charges relate to the two deaths that occurred within hours of each other on August 28 in San Jose and Milpitas.
