TOMS RIVER – A man living in the United States illegally has been indicted on aggravated manslaughter and other charges in connection with a July crash in Lakewood that killed a mother and her 11-year-old daughter, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that a grand jury indicted 43-year-old Raul Luna-Perez, who lives in Red Bank, on two counts each of aggravated manslaughter, reckless vehicular homicide, and strict liability vehicular homicide, along with one count of assault by auto.
Investigators said Luna-Perez was driving a Dodge Durango east on Cross Street around 11:20 p.m. on July 26, 2025, when he crossed the center line near Hearthstone Drive and struck a Nissan Sentra head-on. The driver, 42-year-old Maria Pleitez of Lakewood, died at the scene. Her front-seat passenger, an 11-year-old girl, was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where she later died. Another 11-year-old girl in the back seat was treated and released.
Luna-Perez and his passenger were also hospitalized with minor injuries. Police said Luna-Perez showed signs of intoxication, and a court-ordered blood test revealed a blood alcohol concentration of .19, more than double New Jersey’s legal limit of .08. Based on the time of testing, investigators estimate his BAC was roughly three times the legal limit when the crash occurred.
Authorities determined Luna-Perez was speeding about 60 mph and had crossed a double yellow line, passing four other vehicles before the collision.
He was initially charged with vehicular homicide and assault by auto the day after the crash and released on home detention under New Jersey’s bail reform laws. He was later transferred to federal custody on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer before being re-arrested in August when the charges were upgraded.
Luna-Perez has remained in the Ocean County Jail since August 7.
Billhimer credited Senior Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke for presenting the case to the grand jury and commended the work of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Lakewood Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office CSI Unit, ICE, and the Medical Examiner’s Office for their roles in the investigation.
