Indian-Origin Woman Charged with Alleged Murder of 11-Year-Old Son After Disneyland Trip
Orange County, California — An Indian-origin woman, Saritha Ramarao, 48, has been formally charged with the alleged murder of her 11-year-old son following a three-day trip to Disneyland. Authorities have also added a charge for the use of a deadly weapon—a knife—in connection with the incident.
According to a statement from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Ramarao could face a maximum sentence of 26 years to life in prison if convicted on all charges. The incident took place in Santa Ana, California, where she had been staying with her son during a court-approved custody visit. Ramarao reportedly purchased three-day Disneyland passes in advance of the trip.
On the morning of March 19, the day they were scheduled to check out of their motel and return the boy to his father, Ramarao made a 911 call at 9:12 a.m., stating that she had killed her son and attempted to take her own life.
Santa Ana police responded to the scene and found the boy deceased on the motel bed, surrounded by Disneyland merchandise. Investigators believe the child had been dead for several hours before the emergency call was placed. A large kitchen knife—allegedly bought the previous day—was also recovered at the scene.
Ramarao, who had ingested an unknown substance in an apparent suicide attempt, was hospitalized and later arrested after being released from medical care on Thursday.
District Attorney Todd Spitzer emphasized the emotional weight of the case in a public statement:
“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. 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—not harmed in the name of love, but in death, taken from the world they were brought into.”
While the DA’s office did not publicly release the boy’s name, a NBC Los Angeles report identified him as Yatin Ramarao.
Court documents indicate that Ramarao had been in a contentious custody dispute with her ex-husband, Prakash Raju, since their divorce in 2018. She had recently regained visitation rights after accusing Raju of making unilateral decisions about their son’s education and healthcare. She also cited concerns over his alleged history of alcohol abuse and mental health issues.
Prakash Raju, originally from Bengaluru, India, had relocated to Fairfax, Virginia, and had primary custody of the boy. He denied all allegations, calling them “completely false and untrue,” and stated that his actions were always in the best interest of his child.
Court records further reveal that Saritha had previously claimed that her son suffered from “severe control issues” and feared that he would get into trouble living with his father. However, Raju’s legal team countered those claims, asserting that he was a caring parent and that Saritha’s accusations were unfounded.
As the case develops, authorities continue to investigate the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of a young child caught in the turmoil of a prolonged custody battle.
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