A fun three-day vacation to Disneyland turned into a nightmare when a 48-year-old Indian-origin woman, Saritha Ramaraju, was charged with killing her 11-year-old son.

According to reports, Saritha slit her son’s throat after their trip to Disneyland and then tried to take her own life by swallowing pills.

The police have charged her with one count of murder and one count of using a weapon (a knife) in the crime. If found guilty, she could face up to 26 years to life in prison, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

Custody Battle & Motel Stay

Saritha divorced her husband, Prakash Raju, in 2018 and moved out of California. During a custody visit, she took her son to Disneyland and stayed with him at a motel in Santa Ana.

She was supposed to check out of the motel on March 19 and return the boy to his father that day. Instead, she called 911 at 9:12 AM, admitting that she had killed her son and taken pills to harm herself.

Police Investigation

When officers arrived at the motel, they found the boy dead on the bed, surrounded by Disneyland souvenirs. Reports suggest he had been dead for several hours before Saritha made the call.

Police also found a large kitchen knife in the room, which she had purchased the day before.

Saritha was taken to the hospital after ingesting an unknown substance. After her recovery, she was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Ongoing Custody Dispute

Saritha and her ex-husband had been fighting over custody since last year. She had accused him of making important medical and school decisions for their son without consulting her and claimed he had substance abuse issues.

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District Attorney’s Statement

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer expressed deep sadness over the case.

“A child should never suffer because of their parents’ anger. Instead of holding her son with love, she took his life in the most tragic way,” he said.