Santa Ana police say, a mother later identified as Saritha Ramaraju, is in custody after her 11-year-old son was found fatally stabbed in Santa Ana hotel room.
Authorities are investigating a tragic murder scene at a Santa Ana hotel after a woman called 911 to tell police she had just killed her 11-year-old son.
Santa Ana Police Department Press Release
#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 9:12 a.m., Santa Ana Police Communications received a call from a woman who reported that she had stabbed and killed her son in a room at the La Quinta Inn & Suites in Santa Ana.
She also stated that she had ingested an unknown substance.
Officers responded to the scene and detained 48-year-old Saritha Ramaraju of Irvine in the hotel hallway. She was then transported to a local hospital for evaluation. Inside a nearby hotel room, officers found an unresponsive 11-year-old boy with apparent stab wounds. Orange County Fire Authority personnel arrived on scene and pronounced the child deceased.
On Thursday, March 20, 2025, Saritha was discharged from the hospital and booked into the Santa Ana Jail on charges of Penal Code § 187(a)–Murder, PC 273(a)–Child Endangerment, PC 206–Torture, and PC 205–Aggravated Mayhem.
Homicide detectives are working to identify and locate additional witnesses who may have information about this incident. Anyone with information is urged to contact SAPD Homicide Section Detectives at (714) 245-8390 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.