An Indian-origin woman faces charges after allegedly murdering her 11-year-old son during a three-day Disneyland vacation. Saritha Ramaraju, 48, now stands accused of one felony count of murder for slitting her son’s throat during a custody visit, authorities said. She also faces a felony enhancement charge for personal use of a weapon, specifically a knife, and could receive a sentence ranging from 26 years to life if convicted.
Ramaraju, who relocated from California following her divorce in 2018, stayed with her son at a motel in Santa Ana during the visit. On the day she was scheduled to check out and return the boy to his father, she purchased three-day passes to Disneyland. At 9:12 a.m. on March 19, she called 911 to report that she had killed her son and had ingested pills in a suicide attempt.
Santa Ana police arrived at the motel and discovered the young boy deceased on a bed surrounded by Disneyland souvenirs. Evidence suggested that the boy had been dead for several hours before Ramaraju’s 911 call. Investigators found a large kitchen knife in the room, which had been purchased the day before. After being treated for ingesting an unknown substance, Ramaraju was released from the hospital and later arrested on suspicion of stabbing her son to death.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer expressed his dismay at the tragedy, stating, “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.”
#SantaAnaPD #PressRelease – Arrest Made in Homicide Investigation
Arrestee: Saritha Ramaraju (48) Irvine
SANTA ANA, Calif. (March 20, 2025)—Santa Ana Police have arrested a 48-year-old woman for stabbing and killing her child.
On Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at approximately… pic.twitter.com/SgtZH9MQ8W
— SantaAnaPD (@SantaAnaPD) March 20, 2025
He added, “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.”
While the investigation did not initially name the young victim, NBC Los Angeles later identified him as Yatin Ramaraju. The case emerges amid a bitter custody battle between Saritha Ramaraju and her ex-husband, Prakash Raju, with accusations flying from both sides. Saritha accused her former husband of making key medical and school decisions without her input, alleging that he suffers from substance abuse issues and severe control tendencies. In contrast, Prakash Raju, who was born and raised in Bengaluru, India, contends that Saritha has cited “completely false and untrue abuse and substance abuse issues.”
Court records show that Prakash Raju gained custody of the boy after their divorce in January 2018, while Saritha retained visitation rights. Currently residing in Fairfax, Virginia, Saritha reportedly desires full custody, wanting her son to live with her.
The case has shocked the community and drawn significant media attention, highlighting the deep personal and legal conflicts that can arise in contentious custody battles.
