A brutal and mysterious tragedy in California has sent shockwaves through immigrant communities and families across the United States and Kerala, claiming the lives of two women who had celebrated a traditional festival together just a day prior. The chilling sequence of events has left investigators probing how a cheerful gathering of three friends culminated in a horrific double fatality and a murder arrest.
From Onam Festivities to a Chilling Crime Scene
According to grieving relatives and close acquaintances, the three women knew each other well and spent the day before the August 28 incident together. They joyfully celebrated the Onam festival and later went to watch a movie at a local theatre. None of them could have possibly anticipated that within hours, this social outing would spiral into a nightmare, leaving two dead and the third facing serious murder charges.
Hit-and-Run Incident in a Milpitas Parking Lot
Local law enforcement officials reported that around noon on August 28, emergency services received a call regarding a hit-and-run incident in a parking lot located in the Milpitas area. Eyewitnesses informed officers that a blue SUV had struck a pedestrian and immediately fled the scene at high speed. When police arrived, they discovered a seriously injured woman in critical condition who was pronounced dead at the spot. She was later identified as 35-year-old Anjana Hari.
Authorities subsequently tracked down a matching blue SUV with heavy collision damage in a nearby parking area. The 32-year-old female driver from Milpitas operating the vehicle was taken into custody. While police did not immediately release her identity to the public, the victim's family identified the arrested woman as Anila, who originally hails from Kottayam in Kerala.
The Second Discovery in a San Jose Apartment
The mystery deepened significantly when a second woman, 40-year-old Anne Mary Mathew, was found dead inside her apartment in San Jose. Family members asserted that Anne Mary bore visible stab wounds on her body. According to relatives, Anne Mary's husband, Jacob, rushed to their apartment after hearing about Anjana's tragic death and discovered his wife lifeless indoors.
While relatives have voiced strong suspicions connecting the two violent incidents, police have not yet publicly detailed the exact timeline or the direct link between the two deaths. Investigators are actively piecing together evidence to determine the precise chain of events connecting the parking lot collision and the apartment homicide.
Background of the Victims and Arrested Friend
Anjana Hari, originally from Thrissur in Kerala, worked as a school teacher in the United States. She lived with her software engineer husband, Vijesh, and their six-year-old daughter, Vamika. The family had relocated to America in 2021, and Anjana had last visited Kerala in 2023. The second victim, Anne Mary Mathew from Thiruvananthapuram, was likewise employed as a computer teacher at a school in the US. She is survived by her husband Jacob and their two daughters, 12-year-old Andresa and five-year-old Alisa.
Relatives revealed that the arrested woman, Anila, had recently lost her job in the US, whereas Anne Mary had secured employment and a work permit just two weeks prior to the incident. Despite these circumstantial details, US law enforcement agencies have not yet confirmed whether employment struggles or personal disputes played a role in the killings.
Efforts to Repatriate Bodies to India
Union Minister Suresh Goपी discussed the tragic incident with Indian consulate officials, confirming that US authorities are treating both deaths as homicide cases. Discussions are underway through the Indian Consulate in San Francisco to facilitate the repatriation process of the mortal remains back to India, with local funeral homes instructed to complete necessary paperwork. However, the exact timeline for when the bodies will be released and flown home remains undetermined as US authorities continue their forensic investigations.
