Story by Ethan
On August 7th, 2025, the arrest of Raul Luna-Perez, age 43, was announced by Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. Raul Luna-Perez was charged with two counts of Aggravated Manslaughter, two counts of Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide. Luna-Perez had previously been charged with two counts of Vehicular Homicide and one count of Assault by Auto. The arrest and charges against Raul Luna-Perez were a result of an investigation launched by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Lakewood Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office.
According to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, a motor vehicle crash with severe injuries was reported in the area of Cross Street and Hearthstone Drive in Lakewood, New Jersey, at approximately 11:20 p.m. on July 26th, 2025. Investigation into the incident led detectives to infer a Dodge Durango being driven by Raul Luna-Perez and occupied by one other passenger was traveling eastbound on Cross Street before crossing into another lane with oncoming traffic. The Dodge Durango collided with a Nissan Sentra occupied by Maria Pleitez, age 42, and two other 11 year old victims. Responding officers found Maria Pleitez and pronounced her deceased at the scene, while transporting the two 11 year old victims as well as the passenger in the Dodge Durango to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, New Jersey. One of the children unfortunately succumbed to their injury while in medical care, and the other child and passenger were released after treatment. Responding personnel noted signs of impairment from Raul Luna-Perez, and a blood draw was ordered by the court. Tests showed that at the time of the crash Raul Luna-Perez had a blood alcohol content of .19, making him unfit to operate a vehicle as the legal limit in New Jersey is .08.
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office stated that the charges against Raul Luna-Perez are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
