By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Ocean County announced that today, Ruben Santiago, 36, of Lakewood, pled guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter before the Honorable Guy P. Ryan, P.J.Cr.P., in connection with the death of his three-month-old daughter on May 5, 2025, in Lakewood Township.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that at the time of his sentencing on March 4, 2026, the State will be seeking a term of 25 years in New Jersey State Prison, subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act.
According to Ocean County officials, on May 5, 2025, at approximately 7:20 p.m., officers from the Lakewood Township Police Department responded to a residence on Pinehurst Drive regarding a three-month-old infant who was having difficulty breathing.
Responding Officers found the infant to be unresponsive, OCPO officials said. Lakewood Township Emergency Medical Services personnel subsequently arrived on scene and immediately began to administer medical attention to the infant.
The infant was transported to Ocean University Medical Center in Brick Township and later transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) in Neptune, Ocean County officials said. On May 6, 2025, the infant was pronounced deceased at JSUMC.
Ocean County officials stated that on May 7, 2025, the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office performed a post-mortem examination of the infant. The examination determined that the cause of the infant’s death was blunt force trauma to the head causing fracturing and subdural hematoma, and the manner of death to be homicide.
A thorough investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit revealed that Santiago and Gibson, parents of the infant, were responsible for the child’s death, Ocean County officials say.
OCPO officials stated on May 7, 2025, that both Santiago and Gibson were taken into custody at Lakewood Township Police Headquarters.
They were subsequently transported to the Ocean County Jail, where they have been detained since that date, according to Ocean County officials. The charges against Gibson remain pending.