Tragedy In Bay Area: One Woman Stabbed, Another Run Over; Mutual Friend Suspected

India-West News Desk

MILPITAS, CA – Authorities in California are investigating the deaths of two women from Kerala who were killed in separate incidents in the San Francisco Bay Area within hours of each other, with relatives claiming a mutual friend is responsible for both fatalities.

The victims have been identified as Anjana Hari, 35, and Ann Mary Mathew, 40. Media reports say the suspect arrested following the first death is 32-year-old Anila, who could also be a suspect for the second death.

Neither the Milpitas Police Department nor the San Jose Police Department has publicly released the names of the victims or the suspect, nor have law enforcement officials formally confirmed that the two homicides are linked.

According to family members and media reports, the three women were long-time friends who had spent the previous evening together, attending an Onam celebration before going to a theater to watch a film.

The initial incident occurred shortly after noon on August 28 at the Mill Creek Apartments on Dixon Landing Road in Milpitas. Officers responding to a 12:01 p.m. report of a hit-and-run in the complex’s parking lot found a woman suffering from severe injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses reported seeing a blue SUV flee the parking lot immediately after striking the victim. Milpitas police later located a damaged blue SUV matching the witness descriptions in a nearby parking lot and subsequently arrested a 32-year-old Milpitas resident. Relatives confirmed that Anjana was the victim struck in the collision.

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. Officers discovered an unconscious woman inside the home who died shortly thereafter.

The San Jose Police Department’s Homicide Unit determined 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 that an adult female suspect was quickly identified, though her identity has not been officially disclosed.

Ann’s family identified her as the woman killed inside the San Jose home. According to relatives, Ann’s husband, Pallathra Jacob, came back home after learning of Anjana’s death in Milpitas and discovered his wife inside with fatal stab wounds.

Motives for both attacks remain under investigation. Family members noted that Anila had recently lost her job, while Ann had secured employment and a work permit roughly two weeks prior to the incident. Law enforcement has not confirmed whether employment status or financial strain played any role in the attacks.

Anjana had lived in California since 2021, working as a teacher for nearly six years. She is survived by her husband, Vijeesh, a software engineer, and their daughter.

Ann had resided in the United States for a decade and is survived by her husband and two daughters, aged 12 and 5.