Lakewood, NJ – A grand jury in Ocean County has indicted two Lakewood parents on murder charges in connection with the death of their three-month-old daughter earlier this year, prosecutors announced.
Ruben Santiago, 36, and Caitlin Gibson, 28, were indicted on Wednesday following a months-long investigation into the infant’s May 5 death.
Police and emergency crews were called to the couple’s Pinehurst Drive home that evening after reports the baby was struggling to breathe. Responders found the child unresponsive, and she was transported first to Ocean University Medical Center in Brick Township and then to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where she was pronounced dead the next day.
A post-mortem examination conducted May 7 determined the infant died of blunt force trauma to the head, resulting in a skull fracture and subdural hematoma. The death was ruled a homicide.
Investigators from multiple agencies, including the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and Special Victims Unit, concluded that Santiago and Gibson were responsible. They were arrested May 7 and have been held at the Ocean County Jail since.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer credited the coordinated work of law enforcement agencies and noted that Chief Trial Attorney Kristin Pressman presented the case to the grand jury.
Authorities emphasized that the charges are accusations and both defendants remain presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Key Points
- Ruben Santiago, 36, and Caitlin Gibson, 28, of Lakewood, were indicted for the murder of their infant daughter.
- The three-month-old was found unresponsive May 5 and later died from blunt force head trauma.
- Both parents have been detained at the Ocean County Jail since their arrests in May.
The case will now move forward in Ocean County Superior Court.
