Kottayam: Anila Baby (32), a native of Moonnilavu near Kottayam who is in custody in the US for allegedly running over and killing her friend, has been charged with a second murder after prosecutors linked her to a stabbing death in San Jose on the same day, according to authorities.
She faces a potential sentence of 50 years to life if convicted. The Santa Clara County district attorney’s office formally charged her with two counts of first-degree murder. The two killings took place under two different police jurisdictions — Milpitas and San Jose — within Santa Clara County, California, on the same day.
A San Jose Police Department press note on Thursday said the district attorney’s office reviewed the department’s homicide investigation on Sept 8 and subsequently charged the suspect with murder, adding that the motive and circumstances surrounding the case remained under investigation. Anila, who lived in the same apartment complex as Anjana and was known to both women as a close friend, appeared in Santa Clara County court this week and is scheduled to return on Nov 17 to enter a plea.
Anjana had appeared relaxed as she walked toward Anila’s vehicle in the apartment complex parking lot around noon, when Anila allegedly accelerated from a stationary position and struck her, according to court documents. A sandal recovered near the front door was later traced to Anila, according to court documents. At the San Jose scene, investigators found evidence of a struggle and signs of blood clean-up and noted that surveillance footage from the home had been deleted around the time of the killing. She remains in custody without bail.