Friday, Aug. 13, 2010

Woman accused of killing mom 'wanted to die'

LOS BANOS -- A woman suspected of killing her mother last week was found suffering from self-inflicted stab wounds in a local parking lot hours before authorities discovered the alleged crime, according to information police released Tuesday.

Cmdr. Ray Reyna Jr. said on Aug. 3 about 11:40 a.m. officers contacted 47-year-old Denise Lai of San Jose in the parking lot of a local business on the 1300 block of Pacheco Boulevard. Lai had been cut several times and she reportedly told police she stabbed herself earlier in the day and wanted to die.

Lai was transported by ambulance to Memorial Hospital Los Banos and subsequently airlifted to the Memorial Hospital Modesto due to the severity of her injuries.

Later the same day, the police department received information from Lai's family, stating that she was living with her 65-year-old mother, Carolyn Ninomiya, at a residence in the 800 Block of Auction Drive in Los Banos. The family asked police to do a welfare check.

At approximately 2:37 p.m. officers responded to the residence and found Ninomiya's dead body lying on the ground.

Police said Ninomiya was strangled and it appeared she had been deceased for several hours.

On Aug. 4 in an interview with police, Lai admitted to killing her mother the evening of Aug. 2 before attempting to commit suicide, Reyna said.

The Merced County district attorney's office has announced it will file charges against Lai, Reyna said.

Lai, who was a reserve officer with the San Jose Police Department from 1993 to 2008, remains in custody at the Merced County Jail. She is being held on suspicion of murder and elder abuse. Lai's bond amount was previously set at $1 million, but the Los Banos Police Department now says she's being held without bail.

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

losbanosenterprise.com