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A 48-year-old Indian-origin woman, Saritha Ramaraju, has been charged with the brutal murder of her 11-year-old son in California.
She has been charged with one felony count of murder and one felony enhancement for the personal use of a weapon (a knife) to slit her son’s throat following a three-day trip to Disneyland, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life in prison.
Ramaraju, who had been engaged in a long and bitter custody battle with her ex-husband, allegedly slit her son’s throat at a Santa Ana motel on March 19, the same day she was supposed to return him to his father.
A Vacation That Turned Into Tragedy
According to authorities, Ramaraju had purchased three-day passes to Disneyland for herself and her son during a scheduled custody visit. The two stayed at a motel in Santa Ana during the trip.
On the morning of March 19, at 9:12 AM, Ramaraju dialed 911, reporting that she had killed her son and taken pills in an attempt to end her own life.
When police arrived at the motel, they discovered the boy’s lifeless body on the bed, surrounded by Disneyland souvenirs. Authorities believe he had been dead for several hours before his mother made the distress call.
A large kitchen knife, purchased a day earlier, was found inside the motel room, and investigators believe it was the weapon used in the crime.
Ramaraju was rushed to the hospital after consuming an unknown substance. She was released on Thursday and immediately arrested.
Custody Battle and Family Feud
Court records reveal that Ramaraju and her ex-husband, Prakash Raju, had been in a heated legal dispute over their son’s custody since their divorce in 2018.
Ramaraju, who had relocated to Fairfax, Virginia, wanted full custody of the child, alleging that her ex-husband had substance abuse issues and made important decisions about their son’s medical and educational needs without consulting her.
She claimed in court filings that her former husband “gets very aggressive under the influence of alcohol, drugs, and smoke”, and that their son “is very scared to talk to his mother as he’ll get into trouble with dad.”
Prakash Raju, however, dismissed these allegations as “completely false and untrue”, insisting that his ex-wife was fabricating abuse claims.
Following the divorce, the court granted full custody of the boy to Prakash Raju, with Saritha receiving visitation rights.
District Attorney Condemns the Murder
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer strongly condemned the crime, calling it an act of anger and vengeance that had a devastating consequence on an innocent child.
“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,” Spitzer said.
“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, she slit his throat and in the cruelest twist of fate removed him from the very world she brought him into.”
Ramaraju remains in custody and is expected to appear in court in the coming days. Prosecutors will present evidence, including the 911 call, forensic findings, and custody dispute records, as they seek the maximum sentence.
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