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CBS News
6 days ago
- CBS News
Oklahoma pediatrician accused of staging 4-year-old daughter's drowning extradited to Miami-Dade
An Oklahoma mother accused of murdering her four-year-old daughter, after the child's body was found floating in a backyard pool last month in El Portal, is now in jail in Miami-Dade, authorities said. Dr. Neha Gupta, a pediatrician from Oklahoma City, was extradited back to Florida and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center early Thursday morning on a charge of first-degree murder. Gupta, 36, is accused of killing her 4-year-old daughter Aria Talathi and staging her drowning on June 27th at a short-term rental home where they were staying, authorities said. Gupta practiced medicine at OU Health and the University of Oklahoma. She was suspended from patient care and terminated from her position on May 30, according to a statement from her employer. The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office said Gupta and her daughter had traveled from Oklahoma City and were staying at a short-term rental in El Portal, a village just north of Miami city limits. According to investigators, Village of El Portal Police officers responded to reports of a drowning child in a residential pool near Northwest 90th Street and Northwest 1st Avenue around 3:40 a.m. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue also responded to the scene and took the girl to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where she died. According to the arrest documents, Gupta told police she and her daughter were asleep when, around 2:30 a.m., she heard a loud noise, woke up and saw the sliding door open. Once outside, she saw her daughter at the bottom of the pool. Gupta claimed that she tried to help for about 10 minutes before calling the police, according to investigators. Gupta and her ex-husband were in the middle of a custody battle. The girl's father didn't know she was visiting from Oklahoma and staying at the rental home where the alleged drowning happened, according to the arrest document. After an autopsy was performed on Aria, Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department found that the child's lungs and stomach did not contain water and were considered "dry." The exam found she had cuts within her mouth and bruising within her cheeks, which were injuries consistent with "aphysixation and smothering," the arrest document said. "As a result, based on the totality of the circumstances, [Gupta] was a caregiver of the 'deceased victim' -- a minor child -- who caused death to the 'deceased victim,'" the arrest document said. "Furthermore, 'the subject' attempted to conceal the killing of the 'deceased victim' by staging an accidental drowning within the swimming pool of a rental property."Hunter Geisel contributed to this report.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Doctor allegedly staged 4-year-old daughter's death as drowning, arrested
An Oklahoma doctor has been arrested for allegedly murdering her 4-year-old daughter while on vacation in Florida and staging the death as a drowning, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office. Dr. Neha Gupta, a pediatrician from Oklahoma, was arrested on Monday and faces a first-degree murder charge. She is accused of smothering her daughter, Aria Talathi, to death and attempting to cover it up as a drowning, the sheriff's office said in a press release on Wednesday. Back on June 27 at approximately 3:41 a.m. local time, officers were called to a residence in El Portal, Florida, "in reference to a 4-year-old who was found unresponsive within a swimming pool," according to a police affidavit obtained by ABC News. Gupta, 36, directed officers to the backyard of the residence, where they found the child "submerged in the deep end of the pool," the affidavit said. The 4-year-old received CPR and was taken to a local hospital but "despite all life-saving measures," she was pronounced deceased at 4:28 a.m., officials said. Gupta, who shares custody of her daughter with her ex-husband, told authorities that the two traveled from Edmond, Oklahoma, to Miami and rented a short term rental home through AirBnB -- which is where the 4-year-old was found dead. Gupta's ex-husband, Dr. Saurabh Talathi, said he was unaware the child had left the state of Oklahoma and that the two parents were in an "ongoing custody battle," the affidavit said. MORE: Mother charged with murder of 3-year-old daughter after allegedly lying about child's abduction Prior to the incident, the mother and daughter arrived at the rental property on June 26 between the hours of 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. and the child was "tired after a full day of riding jet skis along with spending the day at the beach and was asleep," she told authorities. Gupta told officials she carried her daughter into the residence and woke her for dinner at approximately 9 p.m. The child fell asleep at around 12:30 a.m. and the two "co-slept on a bed located within the master bedroom," the affidavit said. Then, at approximately 3:20 a.m., Gupta claimed she was awakened by an "unidentified noise," realized her daughter was not in the bed and that the glass sliding door leading to the patio was open, the affidavit said. Gupta said that was when she allegedly found her daughter submerged underwater, the affidavit said. She attempted to remove her child from the pool, but was "unsuccessful due to the fact that she is unable to swim," the affidavit said. She told officials she attempted to assist her daughter for 10 minutes before calling paramedics. On Sunday, an autopsy report revealed that the child's lungs and stomach did not contain any water and were considered "dry" -- ruling out drowning as the cause of death, the affidavit said. The medical examiner also noticed "cuts within the mouth and bruising within the cheeks" of the child's face, which is consistent with asphyxiation by smothering, the affidavit said. Officials also determined that the child was deceased before being placed in the pool, the affidavit said. MORE: Mom charged with murder for allegedly drowning 7-year-old daughter: DA The 4-year-old's stomach was also empty, which contradicts the mother's statement that her daughter ate dinner several hours before the incident, the affidavit said. Authorities then concluded that Gupta "attempted to conceal the killing" of her daughter by "staging an accidental drowning within the swimming pool," the affidavit said. Once they obtained an arrest warrant, detectives traveled to Oklahoma City and with the help of local officials, were able to locate and take Gupta into custody, according to the sheriff's office. Gupta is pending extradition to Miami-Dade County where she will be charged with first-degree murder, officials said. It is unclear whether Gupta has an attorney who can speak on her behalf.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Oklahoma doctor arrested after her 4-year-old daughter was found dead in a Florida pool
A pediatrician from the Oklahoma City metro area was arrested in connection with the recent death of her 4-year-old daughter in Florida. Detectives with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office traveled to the Oklahoma City area and, with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service and the Oklahoma City Police Department, arrested Dr. Neha Gupta, 36, on a first-degree murder complaint. Investigators allege that Gupta killed her daughter, Aria Talathi, who was found floating unresponsive in a backyard pool early Friday, June 27, at a residence in the El Portal village of Miami, Florida. "The arrest of Neha Gupta by the U.S. Marshals in Western Oklahoma working a collateral lead is a prime example of good communication and teamwork by dedicated officers," Johnny Kuhlman, U.S. marshal for the Western District of Oklahoma, said in a statement. "Ms. Gupta is facing a serious criminal charge and getting her into custody to face that charge was a priority for law enforcement." More: Logan County plane crash victim identified, investigation underway According to a news release from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, Gupta and her daughter had traveled from Oklahoma City and were staying at a short-term rental. Officers with the Village of El Portal Police Department responded to a 911 call about 4:30 a.m. July 27 reporting a child drowning in the residential pool. Paramedics took the unresponsive child to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where Aria Talathi was pronounced dead, according to another news release from the U.S. Marshals Service. On Monday, June 30, a warrant for Gupta was issued out of Miami-Dade County, and law enforcement arrested her without incident about 2:45 p.m. at a residence in the 200 block of NW 152nd Street in Edmond, the U.S. marshals wrote. "This individual is accused of committing a horrendous act and her swift arrest illustrates the professionalism, communication, and teamwork of all agencies involved," Gadyaces Serralta, U.S. marshal for the Southern District of Florida, said in a statement Wednesday, July 2. "I extend my sincere gratitude to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, Oklahoma City Police Department, and the Oklahoma City Metro Fugitive Task Force." Gupta worked as a licensed doctor specializing in pediatric care at Oklahoma Children's Hospital OU Health in Oklahoma City. Her legal counsel is arguing that authorities have been too quick to label her a suspect in her daughter's death. "It's disheartening to learn the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office is rushing to judgment without all the investigatory tools having come to fruition,' Richard Cooper, an attorney representing Gupta, told KOCO-TV in an interview July 2. "Someone who has experienced the unimaginable is now sitting in jail and is now being labeled as a murderer and is sitting in jail when she should be burying her child." Gupta is pending extradition to Miami-Dade County, where she is expected to be formally charged with first-degree murder. "Because we think it's a rush to judgment, we look forward to all the facts coming out, and all the evidence, and then we'll see what happens," Cooper added. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma doctor arrested after 4-year-old girl found dead in FL pool
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Oklahoma pediatrician now accused of staging her daughter's drowning to cover up child's murder
An Oklahoma pediatrician is accused of drowning her daughter in a Florida pool before trying to cover up the alleged murder. Dr. Neha Gupta, 36, of Edmond, near Oklahoma City, has been accused of staging her four-year-old daughter Aria Talathi's death while on vacation in El Portal, near Miami. Gupta told police she was awoken by a strange sound on June 27 and found her daughter unresponsive in the backyard pool around 3:30am. Aria was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 4:28am. However, while doctors were examining the little girl, they found cuts and bruising inside the toddler's mouth, suggesting she may have been smothered to death and had her body placed in the pool, NBC Miami reported. They also didn't find water in the girl's lungs - disputing the mother's story that she drowned. Gupta was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. The mother-of-one had told authorities she and the little girl had enjoyed dinner around 9pm before going to sleep in the same bed in the master bedroom of the rental home around 12:30am. When she was awoken by an 'unidentified noise' hours later, she claimed she saw her daughter submerged in the pool. She claimed she had attempted to save her daughter, but was unable to as she didn't know how to swim. Gupta also told police she had attempted to 'assist the deceased victim' for approximately 10 minutes before calling 911. The girl's stomach was also found empty, which contradicted Gupta's claim that she had fed the child earlier that evening. Aria's father, Dr. Saurabh Talathi, told investigators that he wasn't aware his ex-wife had taken the toddler out of state, Local 10 News reported. The former couple got divorced last year and were currently in an ongoing custody battle. Gupta had also been suspended from her job in May and give a notice of termination, OU Health and the University of Oklahoma told Local 10 News. Detectives said surveillance video and the autopsy report burn holes in Gupta's account and suggested she had staged the girl's death. 'The subject attempted to conceal the killing of the deceased victim by staging an accidental drowning within the swimming pool of a rental property,' the affidavit said. The doctor was arrested in Oklahoma City on Tuesday by US Marshalls and the Oklahoma City Police Department. She is currently booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center and is being held without bond. She will be extradited to Florida to face her charges. Miami-Dade Sherrif's Detective Joseph. R. Peguero Rivera told Daily Mail that they did not know when the doctor would be extradited to the Sunshine State. Nor do they have a motive for the brutal crime, he said. It is also unclear if the child's remains are in Florida or been transferred back to Oklahoma. Gupta's lawyer, Richard Cooper, told Local 10 that police 'rushed to judgement' and 'as a result, a grieving mother who just lost her daughter is in jail.' 'We look forward to a full investigation which will uncover the truth of the matter,' he said.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Oklahoma Pediatrician Accused of Staging 4-Year-Old Daughter's Drowning to Cover Up Her Murder: Police
An Oklahoma pediatrician has been accused of staging an accidental drowning to conceal the murder of her 4-year-old daughter in Florida Dr. Neha Gupta was taken into custody in Oklahoma City and will be extradited to Florida, where she faces charges of first-degree murder, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office A June 29 autopsy called Gupta's story about her death into questionAn Oklahoma pediatrician has been arrested and will be extradited to Florida on suspicions that she is responsible for the murder of her 4-year-old daughter. In a Wednesday, July 2, press release, the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office confirmed that Dr. Neha Gupta had been taken into custody in Oklahoma with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service and the Oklahoma City Police Department and is set to be charged with first-degree murder. Gupta, 36, has been accused of murdering her daughter Aria Talathi, 4, and staging it to look like an accidental drowning, per CBS News. According to the sheriff's office press release, first responders from the Village of El Portal Police Department and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to reports of "drowning child in a residential pool." The child was discovered "unresponsive" and taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Police said Gupta and her daughter had traveled from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and were staying at a short-term rental at the time of the incident. The alleged drowning took place in the early hours of Friday, June 27, according to an arrest warrant obtained by PEOPLE from the sheriff's office. Gupta reportedly told police she and her daughter were asleep when she heard a loud noise around 3:20 a.m. She told the authorities that she woke up and noticed that the sliding door in the room was open, and once she walked outside she saw her daughter in the water. She allegedly said that she attempted to rescue her daughter herself before calling for help as she was unable to swim. The call was made around 3:40 a.m. First responders reported that Aria was "submerged in the deep end of the swimming pool" when they arrived. She was pronounced dead at Jackson Memorial Hospital around 4:28 a.m., according to the arrest warrant. A June 29 autopsy called Gupta's story into question. No water was found in Aria's lungs or stomach, which would have been evidence that she died via drowning. Instead, doctors found "cuts within the mouth and bruising within the cheeks" that were not related to life-saving services rendered after she was pulled from the pool. An official cause of death has not yet been determined; however, the arrest warrant reported that "the injuries are consistent with asphyxiation by smothering." The autopsy also called Gupta's recounting of the previous day into question. She said that she and Aria ate dinner around 9 p.m. However, the girl's stomach was "empty." "Furthermore, 'the subject' attempted to conceal the killing of the 'deceased victim' by staging an accidental drowning within the swimming pool of a rental property," the arrest document reads. Speaking to PEOPLE, Gutpa's attorney Richard L. Cooper said, "Dr Gupta was involved in a nasty divorce case but was otherwise compliant with court orders. My client had multiple opportunities to flee but instead stayed and cooperated with law enforcement, answered all their questions, etc. My client feels betrayed by the MDSO. We look forward to a thorough investigation and more facts/evidence to come to light which will hopefully show that there was no basis to arrest a grieving mother going through an inconceivable tragedy." In a statement shared with CBS News Miami, he slammed the "flimsy arrest warrant." "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. Common decency would dictate that a little more than 1 day's worth of investigation transpire before making such a dramatic move." Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. According to the arrest warrant, Gupta and her ex-husband were in the middle of a custody battle and the girl's father didn't know she was visiting Florida and staying at the rental home where the alleged drowning happened. PEOPLE has reached out to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, the U.S. Marshals Services, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the Village of El Portal Police Department for comment. Read the original article on People
