--- title: "They Celebrated Onam Together, Then Tragedy Struck: Why Did Anila Allegedly Kill Her Two Malayali Friends in California?" english_title: "California Double Murder: Why Did Anila Allegedly Kill Malayali Friends Anjana and Anne Mary?" publisher: "Truevision English News" canonical_url: "https://english.truevisionnews.com/news/380489/california-milpitas-malayali-women-murder-anila-arrested" published_at: "2026-08-31T08:48:00+05:30" category: "Crime" language: "en" image: "https://cf.zdn.im/img/truevisionnews.com/0/image-uploads/6a94f303cc6ab_california-milpitas-malayali-women-murder-anila-arrested.jpg" keywords: ["California double murder", "Malayali women killed in California", "Kerala women in California", "California crime news", "US Malayali news"] --- # They Celebrated Onam Together, Then Tragedy Struck: Why Did Anila Allegedly Kill Her Two Malayali Friends in California? > **Lead Summary:** **KOTTAYAM: **The motive behind the deaths of two Malayali women who lived in the same apartment complex in Milpitas, California, remains unknown. The two women, who had reportedly been close friends with another Malayali woman living in the same complex, were found dead in separate circumstances. ## Article Content **KOTTAYAM: **The motive behind the deaths of two Malayali women who lived in the same apartment complex in Milpitas, California, remains unknown. The two women, who had reportedly been close friends with another Malayali woman living in the same complex, were found dead in separate circumstances. The deceased have been identified as Anjana Hari, 35, daughter of Haridas and Sushama of Thekkoot House, Mudikkode, Mannuthy, Thrissur, and Anne Mary Mathew, 40, daughter of Jiji Mathew and the late Bessie G. Mathew of Keshavadasapuram, Thiruvananthapuram. Police have arrested Anila, 32, a native of Moonnilavu in Kottayam, in connection with the incident. She was reportedly living in the same apartment complex as the two victims. ‘They happily took part in the Onam celebrations; all three were close friends’ According to police, eyewitnesses reportedly saw Anjana being struck by a vehicle in the parking area of the apartment complex. Anne Mary, meanwhile, was found inside the apartment with stab injuries. The three women had been living with their families at Milk Creek Apartments on Dixon Landing Road in Milpitas. Relatives reportedly said that the three were close friends and that there had been no known issues between them. What makes the incident particularly shocking is that the women had reportedly spent time together shortly before the deaths. They had participated in an Onam celebration together and were also planning to go to a theatre to watch a movie. However, around 12 noon on Friday, the situation reportedly took a tragic turn. Witnesses saw a blue SUV strike a woman in the apartment parking area before leaving the scene. Residents informed Milpitas Police that the vehicle was being driven by a woman. When police arrived, Anjana was found dead at the scene. Officers later located a blue SUV with damage to its front in the parking area of another nearby building. Anila, who was allegedly driving the vehicle, was subsequently taken into custody. Anne Mary found stabbed inside the apartment After learning that Anjana had died, Anne Mary's husband, Jacob, reached the apartment to check on her. It was then that he reportedly found Anne Mary lying inside the flat with stab wounds and bleeding. Anne Mary was working as a computer teacher at a school in the United States. She was the mother of two children, Antreesa, 12, and Aleesa, 5. Anne Mary had returned to the United States after visiting Kerala in the last week of June to attend her father's 70th birthday celebration. Her father, Jiji Mathew, said the family did not yet know much about the circumstances surrounding the attack. He said that completing the required procedures and bringing her mortal remains back to Kerala could take more than two weeks. Jiji is a former Syndicate Bank employee. Was Anne Mary killed first and Anjana called outside? Information received by Anjana's relatives has raised the possibility that Anne Mary may have been killed inside the apartment first, after which Anjana was allegedly called outside and struck by the vehicle. However, this sequence has not been independently confirmed, and the exact circumstances leading to both deaths are still being investigated by police. The motive behind the alleged attacks also remains unclear. Anjana's husband, Vijeesh, a native of Vilanganur near Peechi, works as a software engineer in California. Anjana was also working as a teacher. The couple has a six-year-old daughter, Vamika. Anjana and her family moved to California in 2021. She had last visited her family home in Mannuthy in 2023. Her relatives said efforts have begun to complete the necessary formalities and bring her mortal remains back to Kerala. The deaths have shocked the Malayali community in California as well as the families of the victims in Kerala. The fact that the three women had reportedly spent time together during Onam celebrations just a day before the incident has left relatives struggling to understand what could have happened in such a short period. Police are continuing their investigation into the deaths of Anjana Hari and Anne Mary Mathew. The reason behind the alleged killings and the exact sequence of events remain under investigation. ### Related Links & Sources - [Original Story Source](https://english.truevisionnews.com/news/380489/california-milpitas-malayali-women-murder-anila-arrested)