Left inset: Sergio Fraire (Burbank Police Department). Center inset: Meera Varma (TEDx/Meera Varma). Right inset: Arti Varma (Facebook). Background: The California home where Sergio Fraire allegedly butchered nationally recognized mental health activist Meera Varma and her mother Arti Varma, who is a public school teacher (KTLA/YouTube).
A California mental health activist and her schoolteacher mom were both butchered in a stabbing attack inside their home, with the mother dying and her daughter left hospitalized.
Sergio Fraire, 30, is facing murder and attempted murder charges for the Monday morning attack after "evidence related to the crime" was recovered from a residence where he has been staying, according to a Burbank Police Department press release.
The daughter he allegedly stabbed, Meera Varma — described on her personal website as a "nationally recognized mental health activist and TEDx speaker" who has worked with celebrities and national leaders, including President Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Oprah Winfrey — was at the victims' single-family home in Burbank with her mother, Arti Varma, when Fraire allegedly tried to slaughter them both.
The husband and father of Arti Varma and Meera Varma, respectively, broke down in agony on Monday after finding out about the attack while he was thousands of miles away in India, according to local ABC affiliate KABC.
"He couldn't even speak right," family friend and neighbor Victor Goli told KABC. "He was crying."
Fraire was arrested on Monday night at the residence where he is "believed to be staying," according to police. "He was taken into custody without incident, and evidence related to the crime was recovered," the Burbank PD release says. "The relationship, if any, between the suspect and the victims remains under investigation, as does the motive."
Burbank police officers and paramedics responded to the 2800 block of North Brighton Street around 6 a.m. on Monday following a report of two individuals who had been stabbed inside a residence and were identified by cops as the Varmas.
"Both victims were transported to a local hospital for treatment," police say. "Despite lifesaving efforts, the mother, identified as 59-year-old Arti Varma, later succumbed to her injuries. Her 25-year-old daughter remains hospitalized and is currently listed in stable condition."
A "comprehensive investigation" was conducted after the Varmas were found, which included interviewing witnesses, canvassing for evidence, and "collecting and reviewing surveillance video" that led to police identifying Fraire as a person of interest. A search warrant was executed at the residence where he was staying, which is when the "evidence related to the crime" was recovered, according to Burbank police.
Meera Varma has spoken about her close relationship with her mom in social media posts and on her website. A UCLA write-up from 2023 notes how "Varma says she's been lucky with how supportive her immediate family" has been throughout her life when it comes to mental health.
"Her connections with the women in her life have been particularly healing, starting with her mother and grandmother," the school said. "A lot of my resilience and strength in addressing my mental health I owe to them," Meera Varma explained. "They have been my pillars of support."
On Facebook, Meera Varma shared the UCLA write-up and described her mom as being one of the "most important" people in her life, along with her grandmother. "I would not be where I am today without them," Meera Varma said.
Friends and neighbors told local CW affiliate KTLA that Arti Varma was a beloved public school teacher who enjoyed working with youths. "People loved her," one neighbor said. "She was such a kind person."