A mother murdered her 11-year-old son in a hotel room, surrounded by Disneyland souvenirs, after what should have been three magical days at “The Happiest Place on Earth.”
At a Glance
- Saritha Ramaraju, 48, allegedly slit her son’s throat with a kitchen knife purchased the day before, after a three-day Disneyland trip
- The boy was found dead surrounded by Disney souvenirs and was supposed to reunite with his father that same morning
- Ramaraju called police herself after the murder, and body camera footage shows her calmly approaching officers with blood on her hands
- She faces charges of special circumstances murder, torture, child endangerment, and aggravated mayhem, potentially facing the death penalty
- District Attorney Todd Spitzer condemned the act, stating “the safest place for a child should be in their parents’ arms”
When Parental Custody Turns Deadly
The horrifying details of this case expose the darkest consequences of custody disputes. Saritha Ramaraju, a 48-year-old mother, allegedly murdered her 11-year-old son in a Santa Ana hotel room on March 19th after what should have been a joyful three-day visit to Disneyland. This wasn’t a spontaneous act of rage – prosecutors allege she purchased the murder weapon, a kitchen knife, the day before committing the heinous act. The premeditation transforms this from tragedy to calculated evil, with reports indicating she slit her own child’s throat while he lay surrounded by Disney souvenirs.
The timeline makes this case even more disturbing. Ramaraju had moved out of state in 2018 following a divorce from the boy’s father and had returned to California specifically for this custody visitation. The three-day Disneyland passes she purchased created a façade of maternal care while allegedly plotting her son’s murder. Most chillingly, the boy was scheduled to reunite with his father that very morning – suggesting the murder may have been an act of spite toward her ex-husband rather than any concern for the child’s wellbeing.
Mother Charged with Slitting 11-year-old Son’s Throat in Santa Ana Motel After Three Days at Disneyland During Custody Visitation Boy was scheduled to be returned to his father the day he was killed.
Full Press Release: https://t.co/BTubnPk0bL
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A mother has… pic.twitter.com/IsNR85Npwk
— OCDA Todd Spitzer (@OCDAToddSpitzer) March 21, 2025
Blood on Her Hands
The arrest of Ramaraju presents a disturbing portrait of cold detachment. After allegedly slitting her son’s throat, she called authorities herself, admitted to the killing, and claimed to have attempted suicide by taking pills. Body camera footage shows an eerily calm Ramaraju approaching officers with blood still visible on her hands.
“She has blood on her hands”, one of the officers said as they processed the surreal scene. This composure after committing such a violent act against her own child strikes at something fundamentally broken in our society.
The La Quinta Inn & Suites in Santa Ana, California, became the scene of this horrific crime – a location specifically chosen to maximize their Disneyland park time. Investigators found the boy’s body amid souvenirs from their trip, creating a macabre juxtaposition of childhood joy and unspeakable violence. Ramaraju was initially transported to a hospital for ingesting an unknown substance before being formally arrested and charged. Her expressionless demeanor throughout raises disturbing questions about her mental state and the cold calculation behind this atrocity.
⚠️ WARNING: This post contains details of a violent crime
Saritha Ramaraju, 48, has been charged with murder after her 11-year-old son was found dead in a Santa Ana hotel room during a custody visit. The boy, who had spent three days bonding with his mother at Disneyland Resort,… pic.twitter.com/fxa9ZTo2f6
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) March 22, 2025
Justice for an Innocent Child
The legal consequences for Ramaraju appropriately reflect the severity of her alleged crimes. She faces multiple charges including special circumstances murder with the allegation of lying in wait, torture, child endangerment, and aggravated mayhem. The district attorney’s office is pursuing the case with maximum severity, noting that she could potentially face the death penalty if convicted. Currently held without bail, Ramaraju has been assigned a public defender but has not yet entered a plea, with her next court date set for April 17.
“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.”, says Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.
Spitzer made powerful statements condemning this act that cut to the heart of what makes this case so disturbing. No child should ever become a pawn in a battle between parents. The weaponization of children in custody disputes has reached its most extreme and horrific conclusion here. While our justice system will handle the legal consequences, we should all reflect on the broader societal failures that allow parental rage to overcome the natural instinct to protect one’s child – and what safeguards might prevent such tragedies in the future.
