First grade teacher killed, mental health advocate injured in California double stabbing

BURBANK, Calif. (TCN) -- A man has been charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with the stabbings of a woman and her adult daughter.

Early in the morning of April 20, officers responded to a home after receiving reports of a stabbing, the Burbank Police Department announced. Inside the home, they found 25-year-old Meera Varma and her mother, 59-year-old Arti Varma, suffering from stab wounds. They were both treated at a hospital, and Arti Varma died from her injuries. Meera Varma remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Over the course of their investigation, police identified Sergio Fraire, 30, as the suspect. He was arrested at the apartment where police believe he had been staying and taken into custody without incident. He was booked into jail for murder and attempted murder; the charges are pending review by the district attorney, according to police.

KTLA reports Arti Varma was a public school teacher and Meera Varma is a mental health advocate, according to neighbors. Law & Crime reports Meera Varma’s website describes her as a nationally recognized mental health activist and TEDx speaker. She has reportedly worked with President Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Oprah Winfrey. 

According to KABC, Arti Varma loved to decorate for holidays and celebrate her Indian culture. She taught first grade and loved her job, according to a friend. “She was such a bright light. She was always so joyful, so proud of her kids,” her friend Cristina Strattan said.

Arti Varma’s husband — Meera Varma’s father — is reportedly currently out of the country and was thousands of miles from home when he learned what had happened, according to KTLA.

Police say it’s unknown whether Fraire knew the victims.