Mother accused in stabbing death of 11-year-old-son at Santa Ana hotel

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- An investigation continued Thursday into a mother who was taken into custody after allegedly calling authorities from a Santa Ana hotel and confessing to killing her 11-year-old son, who was stabbed multiple times.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

Saritha Ramaraju, 48, of Irvine, called police at about 9:45 a.m. Wednesday from the La Quinta Inn located at 2721 Hotel Terrace, near the Costa Mesa 55 Freeway and said that she had killed her son, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.

The child was found on a bed in a hotel room. Police said a weapon recovered from the scene.

The mother was transported to a hospital after she ingested an unknown substance, a police spokesperson said. She was discharged and booked on charges of murder, child endangerment, torture and aggravated mayhem.

Officer Natalie Garcia, a Santa Ana Police Department spokesperson, said a motive is unknown.

Garcia said the mother and son had been staying at the hotel off and on for the last couple of weeks.

Detectives are working on locating any witnesses. 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.

City News Service contributed to this report.