A 62-year-old woman of Indian origin was killed in Tracy, California on Saturday last. The incident occurred at Hacienda Inn motel owned by Chempak Petal, brother of victim Lalita Patel.
"What happened is very sad," Chempak Patel told Rediff.com, who came to the United States 18 years ago from Surat. He added, "I employed my sister after her husband passed away as she knew little English."
It was about 7.15 pm that Tracy Police received several phone calls. On arrival at the scene the police found Patel severely wounded and a "naked man" Stephen Carreiro, 25.
According to Tracy Cornor's office Patel was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead at the local Sutter Tracy Community Hospital on Saturday.
An official said that the body has been released to the family but denied giving the cause of death.
The San Joaquin County Superior Court on Tuesday charged Carreiro with willful, deliberate and premeditated murder that could lead to life imprisonment or the death penalty and several enhancements to that count. The enhancements are burglary with murder; rape; rape by foreign object, sodomy, mayhem and crime against elderly person.
Carreiro, has also been arraigned on charges of assaulting an elderly woman and resisting peace officer.
"There is no bail bonds set on this case," Stephanie Bohrer,spokeswoman at San Joaquin County Superior Court told Rediff.com.
The
Patel's longtime family friend from Surat, who also runs a motel in Tracy said she did not want to be named as the case is under investigation. "What happened is really sad. I knew Lalita Patel and her family very well," said Patel.
"The incident has created an alarm. After this incident Tracy is not safe any more. Tracy is turning more criminal. We are now scared after the incident," said Patel to Rediff.com.
She said,"I have been running motel in Tracy for the past 35 years. Such incident is shocking it never happened earlier in the US. Patels are known in the US for running the motel business.
According to another motel owner, who runs his business close to Hacienda Inn motel said to Rediff.com, the suspect first came to them at about 5 to 6 pm, on being rejected any room he went to the nearby motel.
"The community is in shock," said Patel(who do not want to be named either).
Chempak Patel said the funeral service has been scheduled on Thursday, July 12.
© 2025 Rediff.com -