LAKEWOOD TRAGEDY: INFANT DIES, PARENTS FACE MURDER CHARGES IN BRUTAL CASE

A Lakewood couple has been charged with murder following the death of their 3-month-old daughter, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced Thursday.

Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said Ruban Santiago, 36, and Caitlin M. Gibson, 28, were arrested Wednesday and are being held at the Ocean County Jail in Toms River pending a detention hearing.

On Monday around 7:20 p.m., Lakewood police responded to a 911 call reporting an infant in distress. Officers arrived to find the baby unresponsive. She was rushed to Ocean University Medical Center in Brick, then transferred to Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s pediatric intensive care unit, where she died on Tuesday.

An autopsy conducted Wednesday revealed the infant suffered blunt-force trauma to the head, including multiple skull fractures and a subdural hematoma.

A joint investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Lakewood Police, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Crime Scene Investigation Unit identified Santiago and Gibson as responsible for the fatal injuries, authorities said.