The illegal with a criminal record who killed a mother and child in an accident in Lakewood, has been hit with additional charges, sources tell TLS.

Raul Luna Perez, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, was initially arrested on July 27, 2025, after allegedly crossing into oncoming traffic and striking another vehicle head-on. He was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of assault. A second child in the car was hospitalized with injuries.

In addition to his earlier charges, Perez was hit with two counts of Aggravated Manslaughter, as well as two counts of Strict Liability Vehicular Manslaughter, the sources told TLS.

Following his initial arrest for the incident, he was released by a judge in Ocean County, but then picked up by ICE officials, who slammed Governor Murphy’s Sanctuary policies.

Perez is now back in Ocean County Jail.

UPDATE 11:10 AM: The OCPO released the following statement:

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on August 7, 2025, Raul Luna-Perez, 43, of Red Bank, was charged with two counts of Aggravated Manslaughter as well as two counts of Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide in connection with a motor vehicle crash that occurred in Lakewood on July 26, 2025. Luna-Perez had previously been charged with two counts of Vehicular Homicide and one count of Assault by Auto on July 27, 2025 relative to the same incident.

On July 26, 2025, at approximately 11:20 p.m., Officers from the Lakewood Township Police Department responded to the intersection of Cross Street and Hearthstone Drive for a report of a motor vehicle crash with serious injuries. A subsequent investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Lakewood Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, revealed that a Dodge Durango – operated by Luna-Perez and containing a passenger – was traveling eastbound on Cross Street when it crossed into the oncoming lane of traffic and collided head on with a Nissan Sentra. The driver of the Nissan Sentra, later identified as Maria Pleitez, 42, of Lakewood, was pronounced deceased at the scene. An 11-year-old female front seat passenger was transported to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood where she succumbed to her injuries. A second 11-year-old female passenger, who was seated in the rear of the vehicle, was likewise transported to Monmouth Medical Center, where she was treated for her injuries and subsequently released. The passenger of the Dodge Durango was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) in Neptune for treatment of minor injuries and later released.

First Responders at the scene detected that Luna-Perez showed signs of impairment. In furtherance of the investigation, Luna-Perez was transported to JSUMC where a draw of his blood was obtained pursuant to a court-authorized warrant. Luna-Perez was initially charged with two counts of Vehicular Homicide and Assault by Auto on July 27, 2025; he was transported to the Ocean County Jail but subsequently released by the Court on strict home detention as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform. Luna-Perez was thereafter transferred to federal custody by way of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer.

Preliminary results of Luna-Perez’s blood draw, received by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit, revealed that Luna-Perez’s Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) was at least a .19 at the time of the blood draw. Based on the dissipation of BAC over time, it is estimated that his BAC would have been approximately three times the legal limit at the time of the crash. In the State of New Jersey, an operator of a motor vehicle is presumed to be over the legal limit for purposes of alcohol consumption where the operator’s BAC is .08 or greater. Additionally, further investigation has revealed that Luna-Perez was accelerating at a speed of approximately 60 miles per hour at the time of the crash, and that he crossed over the double yellow line – passing four other vehicles prior to impacting with the Nissan.

“As a consequence of Luna-Perez’s preliminary blood draw results and our continuing investigation, the charges against Luna-Perez have been upgraded to Aggravated Manslaughter as well as Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide. This morning, August 7, 2025, Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad and Lakewood Township Police Department responded to the ICE detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey where Luna-Perez was taken into custody without incident. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail where he is currently lodged pending a detention hearing. We will seek to detain this defendant once again,” Prosecutor Billhimer stated.

“Thanks to the cooperation of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Luna-Perez has been returned to Ocean County to face these upgraded charges. His return sends a clear message that our federal partners share in our mission to hold those individuals that commit serious crimes accountable – regardless of their immigration status,” Prosecutor Billhimer concluded.

Prosecutor Billhimer commends 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, for their collective assistance in connection with this investigation.