Police: Pediatrician Accused of Smothering Daughter, Faking Drowning

An Oklahoma doctor, Dr. Neha Gupta, has been arrested for allegedly murdering her 4-year-old daughter, Aria Talathi, while on vacation in Florida. The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office stated that Gupta is accused of smothering her daughter and trying to make it look like a drowning incident. The child's autopsy did not find any water in her lungs.

The incident occurred on June 27 at a residence in El Portal, Florida, where the child was found unresponsive in a swimming pool. Despite efforts to revive her, the 4-year-old was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Gupta, a pediatrician from Oklahoma, was arrested on Monday and faces a first-degree murder charge.

Gupta and her ex-husband, Dr. Saurabh Talathi, had traveled from Edmond, Oklahoma, to Miami for vacation. They were staying at a short-term rental home through AirBnB when the incident took place. Gupta claimed she found her daughter submerged in the pool after waking up to an unidentified noise.

An autopsy revealed that the child's lungs and stomach were dry, ruling out drowning as the cause of death. The medical examiner observed signs of asphyxiation by smothering on the child's face. Authorities concluded that Gupta staged the incident to appear as an accidental drowning to conceal the murder.

Gupta is currently in custody in Oklahoma City and is awaiting extradition to Miami-Dade County to face the first-degree murder charge. It is unknown if she has legal representation at this time.