Wednesday, Aug. 04, 2010

Daughter arrested in murder case

The Los Banos Police Department has arrested a woman on suspicion of murdering her mother Tuesday afternoon.

On Wednesday Denise Lai, 47, of San Jose was taken to Merced County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond.

The crime she’s accused of committing took place on Tuesday in the 800 block of Auction Drive in a gated community known as the Four Seasons. That afternoon police were asked to go to the victim’s home for a welfare check. They arrived at the location and found the woman dead.

Police Chief Gary Brizzee said his department will not release the victim’s name or the cause of death until confirmation is received from the coroner’s office. Brizzee also declined to state the circumstances that led to Lai allegedly killing her mother.

The homicide was Los Banos’ second this year.

On June 29 Los Banos had its first killing when Jorge Luis Zamora, 54, was found dead in his apartment on I Street.

Police do not believe the Zamora killing and Tuesday’s homicide are related.

The police department urges anyone with information regarding either of these incidents to contact law enforcement at (209) 827-7070.

Enterprise reporter Corey Pride can be reached by phone at 388-6563 or cpride@losbanosenterprise.com