Man pleads guilty in NJ crash that killed woman and girl
A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty in connection with a crash in Lakewood Township that killed a woman and a girl last July.
Raul Luna-Perez, 43, pleaded guilty on Monday, June 15, 2026, to multiple counts of assault by auto and aggravated manslaughter, prosecutors said. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 28, 2026.
The crash happened on July 26, 2025, when officers responded to a multi-injury collision at Cross Street and Hearthstone Drive, according to Ocean County officials. Investigators from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Lakewood Township Police, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department determined that Luna-Perez, driving a Dodge Durango with a passenger, crossed into the oncoming lane and struck a Nissan Sentra head-on.
Maria Pleitez, 42, and two 11-year-old girls were inside the Sentra. Pleitez died at the scene. One of the girls died after being taken to Monmouth Medical Center South Campus. The second girl was treated at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and later released.
The passenger in Luna-Perez’s vehicle suffered minor injuries and was treated at JSUMC.
Police said Luna-Perez showed signs of impairment at the scene. Blood testing at JSUMC showed a Blood Alcohol Content of 0.19, which is above New Jersey’s 0.08 legal limit, as well as traces of cocaine. His charges were upgraded on Aug. 7, 2025, to two counts of aggravated manslaughter and strict liability vehicular manslaughter. He was taken into custody at an ICE detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, then transferred to Ocean County Jail.
Investigators also found he was driving about 60 mph and crossed the yellow line.
Prosecutors are seeking two consecutive 10-year sentences for the aggravated manslaughter counts and an 18-month term for assault by auto, to run concurrently.
