- By Vaidika Thapa
- Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:22 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Two Kerala women killed in separate Milpitas, California incidents.
- Suspect, 32-year-old woman, arrested; known to victims.
- Indian Consulate assisting repatriation of bodies to Kerala.
California: Two women from Kerala were allegedly killed in separate incidents in California, just days after they celebrated Onam with their families. US police have taken a 32-year-old woman, who was known to both victims and lived in the same apartment complex, into custody in connection with the deaths.
Two Women Identified
The deceased have been identified as Anjana Hari, 35, from Mudikkode in Thrissur, and Ann Mary Mathew, 40, from Kesavadasapuram in Thiruvananthapuram. The incident took place on August 28 in Milpitas. Ann Mary was allegedly stabbed inside an apartment at the Mill Creek Apartments complex, while Anjana was hit by a car in the complex's parking area.
Police Trace Blue SUV
According to the Milpitas Police, officers were first called after receiving a report of a hit-and-run on Dixon Landing Road near the apartments. When officers arrived, they found a woman with serious injuries in the parking lot. Eyewitnesses told police that a blue SUV had left the scene immediately after hitting her. Police later found an SUV matching the description in a nearby parking lot and arrested its driver.
Mutual Friend Taken Into Custody
Relatives of the two women have identified the woman in police custody as Anila, 32, from Moonnilavu in Kottayam. She was reportedly known to both victims and is believed to have lived in the same apartment complex with her family. According to Anjana's relative, Vinod, the families knew Ann through video calls but had never personally met Anila. He said all three women were working in different jobs.
Based on information received by the families from people in the US, Vinod said Anila allegedly stabbed Ann inside the apartment and later rammed a car into Anjana. However, police have not established a motive yet and have not released further details about the allegations. Earlier on Monday, Union Minister Suresh Gopi confirmed the deaths and said the government was working to bring the women's bodies back to Kerala.
Gopi informed that he was in touch with the Consul General at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. “I am in regular touch with the Consul General there. I have been told that the bodies of both the women will be handed over after the autopsy is completed. They are expecting it to happen by Tuesday. After that, the bodies will be handed over to registered funeral homes there. By then, the families will have to inform the authorities which destination the bodies are to be taken to,” he told news agency IANS.
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