US Indian Mother ‘Stabbed Son’ after Disneyland Trip

A US Indian mother has been accused of stabbing her 11-year-old son to death in a hotel room following a trip to Disneyland.

Saritha Ramaraju is charged with murder in the death of Yatin Ramaraju. The killing occurred on March 19, the day he was supposed to be returned to his father’s care.

Police discovered Yatin’s body in a room at La Quinta Inn & Suites in Santa Ana, California. His throat was slashed, and he had multiple stab wounds.

Authorities found Disneyland souvenirs surrounding his body.

Ramaraju called 911 at 9:12 am and admitted to killing her son before ingesting an unknown substance, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

Santa Ana police arrived and arrested her on suspicion of murder.

Prosecutors said Yatin had been dead for several hours before officers arrived.

Investigators found a large kitchen knife in the room, which had been allegedly purchased the day before.

Ramaraju was taken to the hospital and discharged the following day. She was then booked into Santa Ana Jail.

The mother had bought three-day Disneyland passes for herself and her son as part of a custody visit. They had been staying at the hotel before Yatin was set to return to his father.

Instead, police arrived at the scene and made the grim discovery.

Authorities say Ramaraju killed her son before attempting to take her own life.

She and her husband divorced in 2018, and Yatin’s custody was split between them.

The circumstances surrounding their custody arrangement have not been publicly disclosed.

Prosecutors have charged Ramaraju with one count of murder and a felony enhancement for personal use of a deadly weapon. If convicted, she faces up to 26 years in prison.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer condemned the killing:

“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.”

“Instead of wrapping her arms around their son in love, she slit his throat and in the cruellest twist of fate removed him from the very world she brought him into.”

Authorities continue to investigate the case.

It remains unclear what led Ramaraju to allegedly commit the crime.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has not provided additional details about her mental state or prior custody disputes. Ramaraju remains in custody as she awaits trial.