By: Yuritza Arroyo
Ocean County authorities announced that on December 9, Gerardo Ruiz, 51, of Seaside Heights, was sentenced to 35 years in New Jersey State Prison as a result of his previously entered guilty plea to Aggravated Manslaughter in connection with the death of Alecia Perreault, 29, also of Seaside Heights, that occurred in the early morning hours of May 1, 2021, in Seaside Heights.
According to Seaside Heights officials, this sentence will be subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act.
Ruiz pled guilty on September 28.
Seaside Heights Police say, on May 1, 2021, at approximately 7:30 a.m., officers received a telephone call from an individual claiming to have knowledge that Ruiz killed a female at the Offshore Motel in Seaside Heights.
The caller further advised that Ruiz was staying at the Surfside Motel in Seaside Heights.
According to police, officers responded to a room at the Offshore Motel, where they located the body of Ms. Perreault with apparent wounds to her neck; Ms. Perreault was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Officers responded to Ruiz’s room at the Surfside Motel and discovered that he had experienced an apparent drug overdose.
Police say, Ruiz was thereafter transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River - under the protective custody of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office.
An investigation by the Ocean County authorities determined that Ruiz was the individual responsible for Ms. Perreault’s death.
Since being released from Community Medical Center, Ruiz has been detained in a secure medical facility.