Mom Accused of Killing Her Son Following a Three-Day Vacation to Disneyland

A mother is behind bars for allegedly killing her young son during a vacation.

Saritha Ramaraju, 48, is accused of slitting her 11-year-old son Yatin Ramaraju’s throat in their California hotel room following a three-day trip to Disneyland. Authorities say the murder occurred the same day Yatin was scheduled to return to his father. Yatin split his time between his parents after their 2018 divorce.

Ramaraju, charged with one count of murder and one count of personally using a deadly weapon, faces a maximum sentence of 26 years if convicted, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

At 9:10 a.m. Wednesday, she called authorities, allegedly confessing to the killing and stating she had ingested pills in an apparent suicide attempt.

When officers arrived at the La Quinta Inn & Suites in Santa Ana, they found Yatin’s body on the bed, surrounded by Disneyland souvenirs. A large kitchen knife, purchased by Ramaraju the day before, was recovered at the scene. Authorities believe Yatin had been dead for several hours before his mother called the police.

“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,” District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. “Instead of wrapping her arms around her son in love, she slit his throat.”

Ramaraju was treated at a hospital before being taken into custody. She remains jailed in Santa Ana and is scheduled to appear in court on April 17th.