Kerala woman charged with two murders after friend stabbed, another run over

New Delhi,UPDATED: Sep 11, 2026 21:52 IST

A 32-year-old woman from Kerala has been charged with two murders in the US 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 her 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 a blue Toyota Highlander ran her over.

The SUV then struck three parked vehicles before fleeing the scene. Hari suffered fatal head injuries and was pronounced dead.

A witness told police that Hari had approached the SUV as if she was about to get inside. She appeared happy and friendly with the driver, and there was no apparent argument between the two women.

The witness said the SUV suddenly accelerated from a stationary position when Hari walked in front of it. Investigators reportedly found no tyre marks indicating that the driver had attempted to brake.

Hari and Baby both lived at the Mill Creek Apartments on Dixon Landing Road. Their relatives and friends told investigators that the two women were close friends.

About 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 Mathew unconscious inside the house with unexplained injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The San Jose Police homicide unit later determined that she had suffered at least one stab wound.

Mathew, who was from Thiruvananthapuram, and Baby knew each other, according to investigators. Hari was a native of Thrissur.

Relatives said Mathew, Hari and Baby had attended an Onam celebration and watched a film together the previous day.

Later on August 28, Milpitas police officers found Baby inside her damaged SUV near a Walgreens store, less than a mile from the apartment complex.

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.

San Jose Police initially investigated Mathew's death separately and identified Baby as a suspect. After reviewing the evidence, prosecutors charged her with murdering both Mathew and Hari.

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