An Indian-origin woman has been charged with murder for slitting her 11-year-old son’s throat, killing him after a three-day vacation to Disneyland during a custody visit in California.

“The boy, who was scheduled to be returned to his father on March 19, was instead found by police that morning dead on the motel room’s bed among Disneyland souvenirs after his mother called 911 to report she had killed her son,” according to Orange County District Attorney (DA) Todd Spitzer.

Saritha Ramaraju has been charged with one felony count of murder and one felony enhancement of personal use of a weapon, a knife. She faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life if convicted on all charges. 

She had moved out of state after divorcing the boy’s father in 2018, and was staying with her son at the La Quinta Inn, in the 2700 block of Hotel Terrace, in Santa Ana for a custody visit. During the visit, she bought three-day passes to Disneyland for herself and her son.

“On March 19, the day Ramaraju was scheduled to check out of the motel and return the boy to his father, Ramaraju called 911 at 9.12 am to report that she had killed her 11-year-old son and had taken pills trying to kill herself,” according to Orange County Court release.

Santa Ana police arrived at the motel and arrested Ramaraju on suspicion of murder. A large kitchen knife was found inside the motel room which was purchased the day before.

“It appeared the boy had been dead for several hours before his mother called 911,” the court said.

“The life of a child should not hang in the balance between two parents whose anger for each other outweighs their love for their child,” said DA Spitzer. “Anger makes you forget who you love and what you are responsible for doing. The safest place for a child should be in their parents’ arms. Instead of wrapping her arms around their son in love, she slit his throat and in the cruelest twist of fate removed him from the very world she brought him into.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Harris Siddiq of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.

Also read:

Mehsana-origin father and daughter murdered in USA