A Milpitas woman was charged with murder Tuesday after authorities accused her of deliberately running over and killing her friend with an SUV at the apartment complex where they lived.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office accused 32-year-old Anila Baby of killing 35-year-old Anjana Hari at about noon on Friday in the parking lot of the Mill Creek Apartments at 440 Dixon Landing Road, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by Milpitas police.
The affidavit was first reported by the Mercury News.
When officers arrived, they found Hari bleeding and with severe head injuries. She was later pronounced dead at the apartment complex. Witnesses reported seeing a blue Toyota Highlander strike three parked vehicles as its driver fled from the complex, police said.
Authorities found the SUV minutes later in a Walgreens parking lot on North Milpitas Boulevard. Detectives said Baby appeared incoherent, could not answer questions and had visible injuries and blood on her arms and legs. She was arrested at the scene, police said.
Family members later told investigators that the two women had been close friends and neighbors, and witnesses added that Hari appeared relaxed and smiling as she approached Baby's SUV, according to police. But Baby suddenly accelerated from a stop and struck her with the passenger side of the SUV before speeding away, according to the affidavit.
A traffic investigator found no skid marks or other evidence that Baby attempted to brake, leading police to conclude that the collision was intentional, authorities said.
Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive.
Baby's arraignment was postponed Tuesday until Sept. 10. She remained jailed without bail at Santa Clara County's Main Jail.
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This article originally published at Milpitas woman charged with murder ran over friend on purpose, police say.