EL PORTAL, FLA. (WSVN) – A pediatrician from Oklahoma has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of her 4-year-old daughter at a short-term rental home in El Portal, authorities said.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, 36-year-old Dr. Neha Gupta was taken into custody in Oklahoma City following an investigation into the June 27 death of her daughter, Aria Talathi.
Officers with the El Portal Police Department responded around 4:30 a.m. to a 911 call reporting a child drowning in a residential pool at 156 NW 90th St.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported the child to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Gupta, who shared custody of Aria with her ex-husband, had traveled with the child from Oklahoma City to South Florida and was staying at a short-term rental, according to authorities.
During the investigation, Miami-Dade detectives learned Gupta and her daughter were the only occupants at the rental property.
According to the arrest warrant, Gupta claimed the child accidentally drowned after slipping out of bed during the night and wandering outside, but an autopsy later revealed no water in the girl’s lungs or stomach, ruling out drowning as the cause of death.
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office found signs of trauma inside the child’s mouth and cheeks, consistent with asphyxiation by smothering, the warrant states.
Investigators said Gupta staged the scene to make the death appear as an accidental drowning.
Residents who live near the home told 7News they believe Gupta was capable of saving the child from the pool.
“She’s a pediatrician. She should’ve been able to save that child in, some regard, got out there to try to get her out of that pool,” said Deborah Moreau, who lives next door to the home Gupta had rented.
“She failed to take care of her, watching her. There’s no way she should be out by the pool at that time,” said P. Moreau, who lives next door.
After obtaining an arrest warrant, detectives traveled to Oklahoma with the help of the Oklahoma City Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service to arrest Gupta.
Attorneys for Gupta have maintained her innocence, with a statement that reads in part:
“What could be more devastating than losing your daughter in tragic accident, only to then be jailed and accused of causing her death Dr. Gupta did not kill her daughter.”
She remains in custody in Oklahoma pending extradition to Florida to face charges of first-degree murder. She is expected to be held without bond.
Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.
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