Authorities are investigating the deaths of two women from Kerala in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a mutual friend suspected in both incidents occurring within hours of each other.
MILPITAS, CA – California authorities are currently investigating the tragic deaths of two women from Kerala, India, who were killed in separate incidents in the San Francisco Bay Area just hours apart. Relatives have alleged that a mutual friend may be responsible for both fatalities.
The victims have been identified as Anjana Hari, 35, and Ann Mary Mathew, 40. Following the first incident, a 32-year-old woman named Anila was arrested and is also considered a suspect in the second death.
While the Milpitas Police Department and the San Jose Police Department have not publicly confirmed the identities of the victims or the suspect, family members and media reports have provided details about the case. Law enforcement officials have yet to formally link the two homicides.
According to family members, Anjana, Ann, and Anila were long-time friends who had spent the previous evening together celebrating Onam before attending a film at a local theater.
The first incident occurred shortly after noon on August 28 at the Mill Creek Apartments on Dixon Landing Road in Milpitas. Officers responded to a hit-and-run report at 12:01 p.m. and found a woman suffering from severe injuries. Tragically, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses reported seeing a blue SUV flee the parking lot immediately after the incident. Milpitas police later located a damaged blue SUV matching the description in a nearby parking lot and arrested Anila, a resident of Milpitas. Family members confirmed that Anjana was the victim of the hit-and-run.
Approximately two hours later, San Jose police responded to a report of suspicious circumstances at a residence on the 700 block of Linda Vista Street. Upon arrival, officers discovered an unconscious woman inside the home, who later died.
The San Jose Police Department’s Homicide Unit determined that the victim had suffered at least one stab wound and classified the case as a homicide. Investigators indicated that the victim and the suspect were known to each other, and an adult female suspect was quickly identified, although her identity has not been officially disclosed.
Ann’s family identified her as the woman found dead inside the San Jose home. According to relatives, Ann’s husband, Pallathra Jacob, returned home after learning of Anjana’s death in Milpitas, only to discover his wife with fatal stab wounds.
The motives behind both attacks remain under investigation. Family members noted that Anila had recently lost her job, while Ann had secured employment and a work permit approximately two weeks prior to the incidents. However, law enforcement has not confirmed whether employment status or financial strain played any role in the attacks.
Anjana had lived in California since 2021 and had worked as a teacher for nearly six years. She is survived by her husband, Vijeesh, a software engineer, and their young daughter.
Ann had resided in the United States for a decade and is survived by her husband and two daughters, aged 12 and 5.
The investigation into these tragic events continues, with authorities working to uncover the circumstances surrounding both deaths.
According to India-West, the situation has left the local community in shock as they grapple with the loss of two beloved individuals.