LAKEWOOD, NJ – A Red Bank man who had twice been released after prior arrests now faces multiple homicide charges following a fatal July crash that killed a mother and her 11-year-old daughter.
Raul Luna-Perez, 43, was indicted this week by an Ocean County Grand Jury on aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide, and assault by auto charges.
Prosecutors say Luna-Perez was driving drunk when he crossed into oncoming traffic on Cross Street and collided head-on with a Nissan Sentra, killing two people and injuring others.
Key Points
- Raul Luna-Perez, 43, of Red Bank, was indicted on multiple homicide counts after a fatal July 26 crash in Lakewood
- Luna-Perez’s blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit, according to prosecutors
- He had previously been arrested and released before being taken into ICE custody
Indictment follows deadly head-on collision
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said the crash occurred around 11:20 p.m. on July 26 at Cross Street and Hearthstone Drive. Investigators determined Luna-Perez was driving a Dodge Durango eastbound when he crossed the center line and struck a Nissan Sentra head-on. The driver of the Sentra, 42-year-old Maria Pleitez, died at the scene. Her 11-year-old daughter, who was in the front passenger seat, later died at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Another 11-year-old in the back seat survived with non-life-threatening injuries. Luna-Perez’s passenger was also treated and released.
Blood alcohol level nearly triple the legal limit
First responders reported that Luna-Perez appeared impaired. A blood draw taken under a court warrant showed a blood alcohol concentration of at least .19, nearly three times New Jersey’s legal limit of .08. Prosecutors said Luna-Perez was driving about 60 mph and crossed a double yellow line, passing several vehicles before impact.
Prior release under New Jersey bail reform
Luna-Perez was initially charged the day after the crash and held in the Ocean County Jail but was later released under the state’s bail reform system and placed on home detention. Immigration and Customs Enforcement then took him into custody on a detainer. Following the upgraded charges in August, detectives arrested Luna-Perez at the ICE detention center in Elizabeth and returned him to the Ocean County Jail, where he remains held.
Prosecutors commend multi-agency investigation
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer credited Senior Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke and multiple law enforcement agencies for their work on the case, including the Prosecutor’s Major Crime Unit, Lakewood Police, the Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit, and ICE. The indictment charges Luna-Perez with two counts each of aggravated manslaughter, reckless vehicular homicide, and strict liability vehicular homicide, along with one count of assault by auto.
