Doctor accused of faking daughter’s drowning extradited to Miami-Dade – NBC 6 South Florida
A pediatrician arrived in Miami-Dade County after being extradited from Oklahoma to face charges in the killing of her 4-year-old daughter in El Portal, according to jail records.
Dr. Neha Gupta is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 4-year-old Aria Talathi, who was found “floating in a pool” behind a home at 156 NW 90 Street on June 27.
Talathi was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Gupta had traveled with her daughter to Miami from Oklahoma and was staying at the rental home.
The arrest warrant stated that the mother told police that she and her daughter had fallen asleep in a bedroom in the rental home and that at around 3:20 a.m. Friday she saw that the girl had wandered onto the patio and was underwater.
Neha Gupta in a booking photo for Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center
The mother told police she tried to save her but couldn’t because she couldn’t swim.
But the warrant states that doctors didn’t find water in the girl’s lungs or stomach, but found cuts and bruising inside her mouth, which gives the appearance that she was smothered to death and then placed in the pool.
According to court documents, the child’s father and Gupta, who got divorced last year, were in a custody battle.
The father had no idea she had been taken out of the state.
Officials traveled to Oklahoma, where they arrested the mother.
She was extradited to Miami-Dade County, and as of Wednesday morning was booked at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
OU Health and the University of Oklahoma released a joint statement saying Gupta had been fired and was no longer seeing patients as of May 30.
Gupta’s attorney, Richard L. Cooper, provided a statement after her arrest:
“We are waiting for the facts to come to light. An autopsy was performed over the weekend. The toxicology reports aren’t back yet. We’re eager to know why the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office seemingly felt so sure to arrest and charge a grieving mother when all other signs point to a simple tragic accident.”
