A Kerala woman has been arrested in California in connection with the alleged murders of two of her close friends, both fellow natives of Kerala. The victims have been identified as 35-year-old Anjana Hari from Thrissur and 40-year-old Ann Mary Mathew from Thiruvananthapuram. Their mutual friend, 32-year-old Anila from Kottayam, has been taken into police custody in California following the incidents, which reportedly occurred within minutes of each other on August 28.
According to local authorities and family members, Anjana Hari died after being struck in a hit-and-run incident in the parking lot of the Mill Creek Apartments in Milpitas. Milpitas police officers responding to the scene discovered a woman with severe injuries who was pronounced dead at the location. Officers subsequently located a blue SUV matching the suspect vehicle’s description and arrested the 32-year-old driver, though investigations into the precise circumstances of the collision remain ongoing.
Simultaneously, Ann Mary Mathew was found dead inside her residence on Linda Vista Street in San Jose, bearing a single stab wound. San Jose police are treating the case as a homicide and confirmed that the victim and the suspect were acquainted.
The tragedy has deeply stunned the families of the victims, who note that Anjana, Ann, and Anila were close friends who had recently celebrated Onam together and gone to the cinema. All three women had been living in the United States with their husbands and children while pursuing independent careers Anjana as a school teacher and Ann as an engineer. Relatives report that even the victims’ husbands are unaware of what may have transpired between the women prior to the incidents. Ann had recently visited Kerala in June to celebrate her father’s 70th birthday.
In response to the tragedy, Thrissur MP Suresh Gopi stated that he has been in communication with India’s Consul General in San Francisco regarding the repatriation of the victims’ bodies. The Indian mission has initiated the required paperwork, though the process is expected to take time due to the ongoing police investigations. Investigators are currently working to determine the motive behind the killings that have left three families and the broader community in profound shock.
