A Red Bank man accused of driving drunk at nearly three times the legal limit when he crossed into oncoming traffic and killed a Lakewood mother and her 11-year-old daughter has been indicted on multiple counts of manslaughter and vehicular homicide.
The grand jury indictment against Raul Luna-Perez, 43, includes two counts of Aggravated Manslaughter, two counts of Reckless Vehicular Homicide, two counts of Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide, and one count of Assault by Auto.
The charges stem from a July 26 crash that turned a Lakewood intersection into a scene of devastation. At around 11:20 p.m. that night, Lakewood police officers were called to Cross Street and Hearthstone Drive, where a Dodge Durango driven by Luna-Perez had collided head-on with a Nissan Sentra. Investigators say the Durango, traveling eastbound, crossed the double yellow line, veered into oncoming traffic, and smashed directly into the Sentra, which was carrying a family returning home.
The crash killed Maria Pleitez, 42, the driver of the Sentra, at the scene. Her 11-year-old daughter, seated in the front passenger seat, was rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where she succumbed to her injuries. A second 11-year-old girl in the backseat survived after being hospitalized and later released.
Luna-Perez’s passenger sustained minor injuries and was treated and released from the same hospital.
First responders at the scene immediately suspected Luna-Perez was intoxicated. Police obtained a court-authorized warrant to draw his blood at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where tests revealed a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.19 — more than double New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08.
Based on metabolic dissipation rates, investigators estimate his BAC was closer to three times the legal limit at the time of impact. Prosecutors said he was also driving at approximately 60 miles per hour, passing at least four vehicles before crossing into oncoming traffic and causing the deadly collision.
“The facts of this case are absolutely horrific,” said Prosecutor Billhimer in a statement. “A mother and her young daughter lost their lives because of one man’s reckless and selfish decision to drive while intoxicated.”
Luna-Perez was initially charged with two counts of Vehicular Homicide and Assault by Auto the day after the crash. He was booked into the Ocean County Jail but released shortly after under New Jersey’s Bail Reform guidelines, which allow non-violent offenders to await trial under supervision.
However, because Luna-Perez is not a U.S. citizen, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed a detainer on him, transferring him into federal custody soon after his release.
As investigators received lab results confirming his extreme intoxication and reconstructed his dangerous maneuvers before the crash, prosecutors upgraded the charges on August 7 to include aggravated manslaughter and strict liability vehicular homicide — the most serious drunk-driving offenses under New Jersey law.
Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Squad and the Lakewood Township Police Department then traveled to the ICE detention center in Elizabeth, where they re-arrested Luna-Perez without incident. He was returned to the Ocean County Jail, where he has remained since.
If convicted on all charges, Luna-Perez faces decades in state prison. Under New Jersey law, aggravated manslaughter carries a potential sentence of 10 to 30 years per count, while strict liability vehicular homicide can add up to 10 years per victim.
The case will proceed in Ocean County Superior Court, with pre-trial hearings expected later this fall.
