<p>A 62-year-old Indian-American woman has been sexually assaulted and murdered in a California motel by a US army veteran, who has been charged and could face the death penalty, according to a media report today.</p>.<p><br />Lalita Patel, who ran her family's motel - the Tracy Hacienda Inn - in Tracy city, California was found murdered on Saturday.<br /><br />Stephen Carreiro, who was recently discharged from the Army, was arraigned in San Joaquin Superior Court on charges that he raped and killed Patel at the motel.<br />Carreiro, 25, was naked when he was arrested around after fighting with witnesses and police at the motel in the 600 block of West 11th Street, San Jose Mercury News reported.</p>.<p><br />Prosecutors filed five special-circumstances counts in addition to charges of murder, elder abuse and resisting arrest. Those counts were murder during the commission of a burglary, rape, rape with a foreign object, sodomy and mayhem, according to Deputy District Attorney Thomas Testa.</p>.<p><br />If convicted of murder with special circumstances, Carreiro would face either life in prison without parole or execution. Prosecutors are still deciding whether to seek the death penalty, Testa said.</p>.<p><br />Police said Carreiro also attacked the victim's 82-year-old mother but would not give the details of that assault. She is expected to recover from her injuries.</p>.<p><br />Police would not describe the nature of Carreiro's attack on Patel or reveal whether a weapon was used. Tests to determine whether Carreiro was under the influence of any substance will take several weeks, Tracy police Capt John Espinoza said.</p>.<p><br />Carreiro had moved to Tracy from out of state about a month ago, Testa said, but police and prosecutors were still investigating his personal history.</p>.<p><br />Espinoza said Carreiro had recently been discharged from the Army, but did not know the details of his service.</p>.<p><br />Patel was found near the office of the motel, where she was working Saturday night, Espinoza said. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.<br />Carreiro is being held without bail at the San Joaquin County Jail. He will appear next at a hearing on July 24.</p>
<p>A 62-year-old Indian-American woman has been sexually assaulted and murdered in a California motel by a US army veteran, who has been charged and could face the death penalty, according to a media report today.</p>.<p><br />Lalita Patel, who ran her family's motel - the Tracy Hacienda Inn - in Tracy city, California was found murdered on Saturday.<br /><br />Stephen Carreiro, who was recently discharged from the Army, was arraigned in San Joaquin Superior Court on charges that he raped and killed Patel at the motel.<br />Carreiro, 25, was naked when he was arrested around after fighting with witnesses and police at the motel in the 600 block of West 11th Street, San Jose Mercury News reported.</p>.<p><br />Prosecutors filed five special-circumstances counts in addition to charges of murder, elder abuse and resisting arrest. Those counts were murder during the commission of a burglary, rape, rape with a foreign object, sodomy and mayhem, according to Deputy District Attorney Thomas Testa.</p>.<p><br />If convicted of murder with special circumstances, Carreiro would face either life in prison without parole or execution. Prosecutors are still deciding whether to seek the death penalty, Testa said.</p>.<p><br />Police said Carreiro also attacked the victim's 82-year-old mother but would not give the details of that assault. She is expected to recover from her injuries.</p>.<p><br />Police would not describe the nature of Carreiro's attack on Patel or reveal whether a weapon was used. Tests to determine whether Carreiro was under the influence of any substance will take several weeks, Tracy police Capt John Espinoza said.</p>.<p><br />Carreiro had moved to Tracy from out of state about a month ago, Testa said, but police and prosecutors were still investigating his personal history.</p>.<p><br />Espinoza said Carreiro had recently been discharged from the Army, but did not know the details of his service.</p>.<p><br />Patel was found near the office of the motel, where she was working Saturday night, Espinoza said. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.<br />Carreiro is being held without bail at the San Joaquin County Jail. He will appear next at a hearing on July 24.</p>