Prosecutors have filed additional and more serious charges against the drunk driver in a fatal car crash that claimed the lives of a woman and a child in Lakewood last month.
Raul Luna-Perez, 43, was charged Thursday with two counts of Aggravated Manslaughter and two counts of Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. These charges come in addition to those already filed on July 27, which included two counts of Vehicular Homicide and one count of Assault by Auto.
The upgraded charges follow new evidence obtained during the ongoing investigation into the July 26 crash. Authorities say Luna-Perez was driving a Dodge Durango eastbound on Cross Street in Lakewood when he crossed into oncoming traffic near Hearthstone Drive and collided head-on with a Nissan Sentra.
The driver of the Sentra, Maria Pleitez, 42, was pronounced dead at the scene. An 11-year-old girl who was a front seat passenger later died at the hospital, while another 11-year-old passenger was treated and released. Luna-Perez’s passenger sustained minor injuries.
According to investigators, Luna-Perez showed signs of impairment at the scene. A court-authorized blood draw revealed a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of at least 0.19, more than twice the legal limit in New Jersey. Authorities estimate that his BAC at the time of the crash may have been roughly three times the legal limit.
Further investigation also revealed that Luna-Perez was traveling at approximately 60 miles per hour, had crossed a double yellow line, and had passed four vehicles before the crash.
Following the initial charges, Luna-Perez was taken into custody and released on home detention under New Jersey bail reform provisions. He was later transferred to federal custody under an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer.
On Thursday morning, detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and the Lakewood Township Police Department took Luna-Perez into custody at an ICE detention facility in Elizabeth. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he remains pending a detention hearing.
Prosecutor Billhimer said the upgraded charges reflect the findings of the investigation and the severity of the incident. “We will seek to detain this defendant once again,” he stated.