A California woman is facing a murder charge after prosecutors say she drove an SUV into her friend at the apartment complex where they both lived.
Anila Baby, 32, has been charged with one count of murder in the August 28 death of 35-year-old Anjana Hari, according to a Santa Clara County criminal complaint obtained by the San Francisco Gate.
The complaint alleges Baby killed Hari with “malice aforethought” and lists aggravating factors, including claims that the death involved “great violence, use of a weapon and planning.”
Milpitas police said officers were called to the Mill Creek Apartments in Milpitas shortly after noon on August 28, where they found a woman later identified as Hari with “severe head trauma and bleeding.”
Hari was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Mercury News.
Witness accounts described the moments before the crash as seemingly calm. One person told police Hari “appeared to be smiling and seemed to be friendly with the driver,” while another said the victim and driver were “good friends,” ABC 7 reports.
A third witness told investigators the SUV had been stopped inside the apartment complex, where Baby and Hari both resided, when Hari stepped in front of it and the vehicle “suddenly accelerated.”
According to court records, the SUV then kept moving, striking three parked cars before leaving the complex.
A traffic officer who reviewed the scene also reported finding no tire marks indicating Baby attempted to brake.
Anjana Hari, 35, was allegedly run down by her friend Anila Baby, 32, at their apartment complex in Milpitas, California
Court records claim Baby accelerated her vehicle as Hari stood in front of her, then crashed into three parked cars before fleeing the scene
A motive for the alleged hit-and-run at the Mill Creek apartments remains unclear
Meanwhile, cops in responding patrol cars reported seeing a blue Toyota SUV driving recklessly and pulling into a nearby Walgreens parking lot.
When officers then approached the vehicle, they noticed it had ‘heavy’ front end damage and Baby was still inside.
She appeared ‘incoherent,’ was unable to answer officers’ questions and had ‘visible injuries and blood on her arms and legs.’
A motive for the alleged hit-and-run remains unclear.
But the New Indian Express reports that the crash came moments after Baby allegedly stabbed her roommate Ann Mathew.
She then allegedly called Anjana downstairs before ramming her car into her.
All three women are from Kerala, India, with Anjana moving to the US in 2021.
She is now survived by her husband, Vijeesh, and their six-year-old daughter, with friends now raising money to help the family cover funeral costs and living expenses.
In the meantime, Union Minister Suresh Gopi said all steps would be taken to bring the women’s remains back to Kerala.
He said he spoke to the Consul General at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, and was informed that the funeral homes handling the remains had been directed to complete the documentation required to send the bodies back to India.
But Gopi also said the timing of the repatriation was yet to be confirmed, as US authorities may retain the bodies for further investigation.
Baby is now due back in court for an arraignment on September 10.
Our News Outlet has reached out to Milpitas police for more information.
