OCEAN COUNTY — A Lakewood man has pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter in the death of his 3-month-old daughter, authorities said.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Ruben Santiago, 36, entered the plea before Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan in connection with the May 5, 2025 death of the infant at a township residence.
Prosecutors said Santiago is scheduled to be sentenced March 4, when the state will seek a 25-year prison term under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, which requires most of the sentence to be served before parole eligibility.
Police were called to a Pinehurst Drive home around 7:20 p.m. May 5, 2025, for a report of an infant in respiratory distress. Officers found the child unresponsive. Emergency medical personnel provided aid before transporting the baby to Ocean University Medical Center in Brick. The infant was later transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where she was pronounced dead the following day.
An autopsy conducted by the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, resulting in skull fractures and a subdural hematoma. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.
Investigators determined that Santiago and the child’s mother, identified as Gibson, were responsible for the infant’s injuries. Both were arrested May 7, 2025, and have remained jailed since. Charges against Gibson will be dropped at the time of Santiago’s sentencing.
Billhimer credited prosecutors and multiple law enforcement units for their work on the case.
