Oberoi faces first degree murder charge in grandmother’s death
Published 12:11 am Saturday, March 26, 2016
- A grand jury indicted a local man for first degree murder after authorities said he did not render aid or seek help for his grandmother, resulting in her death.
LAPLACE — A grand jury indicted a local man for first degree murder after authorities said he did not render aid or seek help for his grandmother, resulting in her death.
Neil Oberoi
Sgt. Dane Clement of the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office said Neil Oberoi, 33, of LaPlace was booked Monday for first degree murder. Oberoi was first arrested Jan. 23 and charged with negligent homicide.
“The District Attorney presented the case to a grand jury and the grand jury came back with a first degree murder indictment,” Clement said. “Oberoi was rebooked Monday with a bond of $500,000 and he bonded out Tuesday.”
District Attorney Bridget A. Dinvaut said the grand jury reached their decision March 7.
“I’m in the business of evidence,” she said. “The evidence presented to the District Attorney’s office brought before a grand jury resulted in a first degree homicide indictment. They issued a true bill, which means there was probable cause to move forward based upon the information (the grand jury) received.”
The case against Oberoi began when deputies from the St. John Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence on Muirfield Drive in LaPlace at 8:02 a.m. Jan. 23 in reference to a medical call.
St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre said deputies found Satwant Oberoi, 90, on the floor of the garage near some stairs that led to the main house. The garage where the elderly woman was found was an enclosed structure but was not climate controlled.
The home on Muirfield Drive belongs to Neil Oberoi’s father. The father, son and grandmother lived at the home. Neil Oberoi and his grandmother were the only ones home, authorities said, the night of Jan. 22 and the morning of Jan. 23.
“(Neil Oberoi) ignored her plea until he brought her a cup of water, a blanket and a pillow at 1:30 (a.m. Saturday,)” Tregre said. “When he tried to wake her in the morning, she did not respond. He called his father, who told him to call 911.”
Emergency medical services detected no vital signs for the victim when they arrived.
Because Neil Oberoi did not render aid and seek help in a timely manner, Tregre said, detectives arrested him Jan. 22 for negligent homicide. His bond was set at $250,000 and he bonded out Jan. 25.
