Friday, Aug. 06, 2010

Police: Woman killed mom

Daughter of the victim arrested on suspicion of homicide in case

Los Banos police on Wednesday arrested a woman suspected in the death of her mother on Tuesday afternoon.

Denise Lai, 47, of San Jose, is being held at the Merced County Jail. Her bail is set at $1 million.

Police went to the 800 block of Auction Drive, in a gated community called Four Seasons, to do 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 her death until the coroner's office has confirmed her identity and completed its investigation. Brizzee also declined to state the circumstances that led to Lai's arrest. He did confirm that Lai is the homicide victim's daughter. The victim is believed to have been in her 60s.

The woman's death is Los Banos' second homicide this year.

On June 29, the city had its first killing when Jorge Luis Zamora, 54, was found dead in his apartment on I Street. Authorities have also not disclosed the cause of his death.

However, police do not believe the Zamora killing and Tuesday's homicide are related.

Police are urging 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