An Oklahoma pediatrician has been arrested and is set to be extradited to Florida after authorities accused her of murdering her 4-year-old daughter and staging the scene to look like a tragic accident.
Dr. Neha Gupta, 36, was taken into custody with help from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Oklahoma City Police Department, according to a press release from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. She will be charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of her daughter, Aria Talathi.
Authorities allege that Gupta killed Aria and tried to make it appear as though the child drowned in a pool at a short-term rental in El Portal, Florida. The two had traveled from Oklahoma City and were staying at the rental when the incident occurred.
Emergency responders arrived around 3:40 a.m. on June 27 after a 911 call reported a possible drowning. Gupta claimed she woke up after hearing a loud noise and found the sliding door open. When she stepped outside, she allegedly discovered Aria floating in the pool. She told authorities she tried to rescue the child herself but couldn’t swim, so she called for help.
Aria was pulled from the deep end of the pool and taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 4:28 a.m.
However, an autopsy completed two days later raised red flags. Medical examiners found no water in Aria’s lungs or stomach—findings inconsistent with drowning. Instead, they noted cuts inside her mouth and bruises on her cheeks that weren’t caused by CPR. The injuries were described as being consistent with asphyxiation by smothering. Aria’s stomach was also empty, which contradicted Gupta’s claim that they had dinner around 9 p.m.
The arrest warrant states that Gupta allegedly “attempted to conceal the killing of the deceased victim by staging an accidental drowning.”
Gupta’s attorney, Richard L. Cooper, strongly pushed back on the allegations. He told CBS News Miami that the warrant was based on “flimsy” evidence and argued that his client had been cooperative with investigators from the beginning. He also claimed Gupta was navigating a difficult divorce and custody battle and had no reason to flee.
“Let’s assume for a second that my client is innocent: She has had the worst tragedy imaginable occur, and then she’s locked up without bond and is missing her own daughter’s funeral,” Cooper said. “Common decency would dictate that a little more than one day’s worth of investigation transpire before making such a dramatic move.”
The case takes on additional complexity given that Gupta’s ex-husband, Aria’s father, reportedly had no idea the child was in Florida. The arrest warrant notes they were in the midst of a custody battle at the time.
An official cause of death for Aria has not been released. Authorities have not provided additional comment as the investigation continues.
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Author: thedailycrime1
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