Indian-origin woman arrested for killing 2 Malayali friends in US

HOUSTEN: An Indian-origin woman has been arrested for killing two of her friends, allegedly stabbing one and running over the other with her car, in separate incidents in California, authorities said.The 32-year-old Indian-origin woman, Anila Baby, allegedly killed her two friends, Ann Mary Mathew, 35, and Anjana Hari, 35, in separate attacks within about 90 minutes of each other, according to police and media reports.The accused and the two victims were friends and trace their roots to Kerala.The killings occurred on August 28 in San Jose and Milpitas, two South Bay cities in the US state of California located less than 20 kilometres apart.Investigators later linked the two killings and identified Baby as the suspect, the ABC7 News reported.Baby was arrested the same day and initially charged in the Milpitas killing.However, on September 8, prosecutors also charged her with murder in Mathew's death."The motive and circumstances surrounding the event are still under investigation," the San Jose Police Department (SJPD) said in a statement on Thursday.Baby appeared in Santa Clara County court on Thursday for the first time and is scheduled to return on November 17, when she is expected to have an opportunity to enter a plea, the Los Angeles Times reported.Baby faces two counts of first-degree murder and a potential sentence of 50 years to life if convicted, the ABC 7 news reported.According to investigators, the first killing occurred in San Jose on August 28 at Mathew's home on Linda Vista Street, the report said.Witnesses reported that an unexpected guest arrived at Mathew's door.Prosecutors said Mathew was later found by her husband inside the home.Investigators said she had been strangled and stabbed and was left in a pool of blood, according to the report.Mathew was found unconscious inside her San Jose home with stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene, the SJPD said.Around ninety minutes later, Baby called Hari to the parking lot of her apartment complex in Milpitas.