A 48-year-old mother has been charged with the murder of her 11-year-old son after she allegedly slit his throat following a trip to Disneyland.
Reports identified the suspect as Saritha Ramaraju, who killed her son and allegedly took pills to kill herself afterward. Local police arrested and charged the mother with one felony count of murder for slitting the young boy's throat that killed him. She is also facing charges of one felony enhancement of personal use of a weapon.
Mother Slits Son's Throat
Officials said that the mother and son traveled to Disneyland during a custody visit. The Office of the District Attorney, Orange County, California, said the suspect is now facing a maximum sentence of 26 years to life if she is convicted on all charges.
The woman was found to have gotten a divorce from the victim's father in 2018 and moved out of California soon after. The suspect was said to have been staying with her 11-year-old son at a motel in Santa Ana for the custody visit, according to LiveMint.
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The mother bought three-day passes to Disneyland for both her and her young boy during the custody visit. The suspect was originally scheduled to check out of the motel on Mar. 19, 2025. However, 911 received a call from the woman at 9:12 a.m., confessing to slitting her son's throat and taking pills to commit suicide.
Authorities added that Ramaraju had previously been in a custody battle with her husband, Prakash Raju, since last year. During that time, the woman accused her former partner of making medical and school decisions without her input, adding that he had substance abuse issues.
Attempting To Commit Suicide
The Orange County District Attorney also noted that when authorities responded and traveled to the mother's location, they found the boy lifeless. It appears that the victim had been dead for several hours prior, People reported.
For now, Ramaraju has no cash or bond bail and is still in the custody of Santa Ana jail officials ahead of her next court appearance scheduled on Apr. 17, 2025. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said that the life of a child should not be at risk because of two parents' anger toward each other.
Spitzer added that a child should find a safe place in their parents' arms, arguing that the mother in the case slit her son's throat instead of wrapping her arms around him. The victim, who has not been identified, was supposed to go back to his father on the morning of his death, as per the Los Angeles Times.
