The mother of a left-wing activist who worked with leftist socialite Oprah Winfrey and former President Joe Biden’s administration was killed during an attack at their California home on Monday.
Around 6:00 am that morning, Burbank police responded to a report of a stabbing at a home.
“Upon arrival, officers located two adult female victims suffering from stab wounds,” the Burbank police later wrote in a press release.
Both were transported to a nearby hospital, where the older of the two, Bret Harte Elementary School first-grade teacher Arti Varma, 59, died from her injuries. Her daughter, 25-year-old Meera Varma, survived.
Homicide Investigation Update
Please see the pictured news release or click here: https://t.co/24LsxM8ZMA pic.twitter.com/pOStyGUpzJ
— Burbank Police (@BurbankPD) April 21, 2026
Following “a comprehensive investigation,” the police identified Sergio Fraire, 30, as a suspect. At around 10:00 pm Monday evening, the police executed a search warrant at Fraire’s home and discovered “evidence related to the crime.”
“Surveillance video captured Fraire being walked out of the apartment building in handcuffs,” according to local station KABC. “Another video shows police arriving in armored trucks to make the arrest.”
He was subsequently booked on murder and attempted murder. The motive for his actions still remains clear.
30-year-old Sergio Fraire was taken into custody by a SWAT team serving a search warrant. Police say evidence related to the stabbings was recovered at the residence where he was detained. pic.twitter.com/5nmYZujQlk
— TMZ (@TMZ) April 21, 2026
What’s known for certain is that Meera Varma is a left-wing activist.
“Meera is a nationally known mental health activist who has worked alongside well-known figures including Oprah Winfrey, former President Joe Biden, former First Lady Jill Biden, and former Vice President Kamala Harris,” according to KABC.
The Los Angeles Times further notes that she “became the youngest speaker in TEDx UCLA history in 2023,” she “participated in a mental health summit at UCLA with Oprah Winfrey,” and she ” was invited to the [Biden] White House to speak about the youth mental health crisis and policy.”
Her mother, meanwhile, was beloved at school.
“She always had a positive attitude, always happy, and some of the kids judged her cause she kind of looked strict, mad, but she was being strict so they could become smarter,” a Bret Hart fifth-grader named Emily told the Times. “I just want to honor her. In third grade, I had problems, and she told me to never give up.”
Emily’s mother, Susana Gomez, added that she and her daughter are keeping the community in their prayers. Indeed, the two even set up a small shrine at the entrance of the school in Arti’s honor.
“This is our small gesture of letting the family know we’re here,” Gomez said. “Life is so short, and you have to appreciate every moment. It’s unthinkable how one person’s actions can ruin a family in the blink of an eye.”
A 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a brazen early-morning stabbing attack in Burbank that left a mother dead and her daughter hospitalized on Monday. https://t.co/nEjoKqwjGB pic.twitter.com/HLMj7mofYy
— KTLA (@KTLA) April 21, 2026
A neighbor described how, during the morning of the shootings, she stepped outside only to discover police everywhere.
“I went to the store to buy things, and when I came back, the whole street was closed,” she said. “I had to show my ID, and even then, I was only allowed to walk past the tape. I had to park my car far away. Never seen anything like this. This is scary.”
The neighbor added that she’d often seen Arti going on walks.
The neighbor’s daughter added that they’d learned about what happened to the Meeras from the news.
“I just can’t imagine when [Meera] wakes up, and everything comes and hits her, that’s so sad,” the daughter said. “This is just so scary; we don’t know if this was random or if [the suspect] knew them. I was just like, this dude was just running past everybody’s house while we were sleeping. Thank God they got him.”
The local school district also spoke out.
“This news is heartbreaking,” interim Superintendent Dr. Oscar Macias wrote in a statement. “Our deepest condolences are with Ms. Varma’s students, colleagues, friends, and loved ones, and with all members of the Bret Harte community who may be struggling with this loss. Words cannot fully express the sorrow we feel or the care we hold for those who are grieving.”
