🚨 Lakewood Father Sentenced to 25 Years in Death of 3-Month-Old Daughter

LAKEWOOD, NJ — A Lakewood man has been sentenced to 25 years in New Jersey State Prison after admitting responsibility in the death of his three-month-old daughter, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that 37-year-old Ruben Santiago was sentenced on May 8, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter.

Under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act (NERA), Santiago must serve at least 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. He entered the guilty plea on Jan. 15, 2026.

Authorities said the investigation began on May 5, 2025, when Lakewood police responded to a home on Pinehurst Drive for reports of a three-month-old infant having trouble breathing.

When officers arrived, the infant was found unresponsive. Emergency responders attempted lifesaving measures before the child was transported to Ocean University Medical Center and later transferred to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead on May 6, 2025.

Prosecutors said an autopsy determined the infant died from blunt force trauma to the head, including skull fractures and a subdural hematoma. The death was ruled a homicide.

Investigators later charged Santiago and the child’s mother, identified as Gibson, in connection with the case.

However, prosecutors said Santiago exonerated Gibson during his guilty plea proceedings, leading to the charges against her being dismissed in the interests of justice.