Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that a Lakehurst woman has been charged in connection with a tragic accident that claimed the life of her 10-month-old son in Jackson Township.
Wendy Castillo-Torres, 30, was charged with Causing Death While Driving Without a Valid Driver’s License following a fatal crash that occurred the same day.
According to authorities, Jackson Township Police responded to a home on Grawtown Road around 6:15 p.m. after receiving a report of a child struck by a vehicle. Officers arrived to find an unresponsive infant with severe injuries. The child was rushed to Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus in Lakewood, where he was pronounced dead.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit, Jackson Township Police, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Crime Scene Unit revealed that Castillo-Torres had brought her son to the property, where she was cleaning cars in a friend’s garage. The infant was in a bouncer seat placed between two vehicles.
After finishing the job, Castillo-Torres entered one of the vehicles to move it. Investigators say she mistakenly shifted the car into drive instead of reverse, trapping the child between the two vehicles. She quickly reversed the car, and a companion called 911.
Further investigation revealed Castillo-Torres did not hold a valid driver’s license at the time of the crash. She was charged by summons and will appear in Ocean County Superior Court at a later date.
“Our investigation indicates that this is a tragic accident,” said Prosecutor Billhimer. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time.”
