SEASIDE HEIGHTS – Gerardo Ruiz admitted to fatally injuring a woman hours before he almost died.
Ruiz, 51, of Seaside Heights pled guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter in the death of Alecia Perreault, 29, of Seaside Heights.
Police responded to a call that he had killed the woman on May 1, 2021. When they arrived at a room in the Offshore Motel where she was staying, Perreault was pronounced dead at the scene with wounds on her neck. They went to Ruiz’ motel room at the Surfside Motel, where he was overdosing on drugs. He was treated and detained, and has been in a secure medical facility since that day.
Ruiz faces a term of 35 years at his sentencing on December 9. He will be subject to the No Early Release Act, meaning that he must serve at least 85% of his term before being eligible for parole.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer acknowledged the efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Kimberly Carr who is handling the case on behalf of the State as well as the as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Victim Witness Advocacy Unit, Seaside Heights Police Department Detective Bureau, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, for their combined and collective efforts in connection with this investigation resulting in Ruiz’s apprehension, guilty plea and soon his lengthy state prison sentence.
