Red Bank Man Gets 20 Years for Lakewood Crash That Killed Woman and 11-Year-Old Girl

LAKEWOOD, NJ — A Red Bank man will spend years behind bars for a 2025 crash in Lakewood that killed a woman and an 11-year-old girl.

Raul Luna-Perez, 43, was sentenced Thursday, September 11, to two consecutive 10-year prison terms after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated manslaughter and assault by auto, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.

The sentences add up to 20 years in state prison. Under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, Luna-Perez must serve at least 85% of that sentence before he can become eligible for parole.

The deadly crash happened around 11:20 p.m. on July 26, 2025, near Cross Street and Hearthstone Drive in Lakewood.

Investigators said Luna-Perez was driving a Dodge Durango eastbound on Cross Street when he crossed the double-yellow line and slammed head-on into a Nissan Sentra.

The driver of the Nissan, 42-year-old Maria Pleitez of Lakewood, was pronounced dead at the scene.

An 11-year-old girl sitting in the front passenger seat was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she later died. A second 11-year-old girl inside the Nissan was also injured but survived.

Authorities said Luna-Perez showed signs of impairment after the crash.

Testing later showed his blood-alcohol level was at least .19 — more than twice New Jersey’s legal limit of .08. Prosecutors said cocaine metabolites were also found in his system.

Investigators also determined Luna-Perez had been accelerating at approximately 60 mph and passed four vehicles before crossing into the opposite lane and hitting the Nissan.

Luna-Perez pleaded guilty in June.

Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan handed down the sentence on September 11.