California murders: Anila acted with malice & planned to kill her friend Anjana, police tell court

Anila Baby, 32, a Kerala native from Kottayam, held for a hit-and-run incident at Milpitas, was charged with the murder of her friend Anjana, 35, on Tuesday. The police report filed in the County of Santa Clara Hall of Justice, Superior Court of California on September 1, said Anila committed murder with malice aforethought. According to police, she was armed with a weapon at the time of the commission of the crime.

Anjana was killed in a hit-and-run collision in the parking lot of the Mill Creek apartments on August 28. Anila is also being probed for the alleged murder of Thiruvananthapuram resident Ann Mathew, who was found dead with stab wounds in her house in San Jose on August 28.

It has also been alleged that the manner in which Anila carried out the crime indicates planning, sophistication and professionalism. The police told the court that the official reports and documents establish probable cause for the pre-trial restraint of Anila. She is now being housed at the county main prison.

The Mercury News, quoting a police affidavit, reported that Anjana suffered from severe head trauma and bleeding when the officers of the Milpitas police department found her at the parking lot. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The affidavit, as reported by the news portal, cited Anila, after running down Anjana, drove recklessly past the patrol vehicles and later pulled into a neighbouring parking lot on North Milpitas Boulevard. According to the news report, when the detectives walked up to the vehicle, Anila was found speaking in an incoherent manner and was unable to answer questions. There were also visible injuries and blood on her arms and legs.

Mercury News reported that police relied on eyewitnesses who told cops that Anjana seemed relaxed and smiling as she walked up to Anila's car. This gave an indication that they were friendly and familiar with each other. One of the witnesses said that once Anjana got in front of the vehicle, Anila accelerated and ran over her and later scraped past other cars.

Another witness said that as Anila drove out of the parking lot, others had to step away to avoid being hit. The police also found that the absence of tyre friction or skid marks indicated Anila never attempted to apply the brakes and that the collision was intentional, Mercury News reported, citing the affidavit.

San Jose police and Milpitas police have not divulged details on the possible motives behind both killings.