Latest news with #RaulLuna-Perez
New York Post
09-08-2025
- New York Post
Illegal immigrant driver was three times legal limit when he allegedly killed NJ mom, young daughter in fatal crash
The illegal immigrant who drove an SUV head-on into a sedan carrying a young mother and her 11-year-old daughter, killing both, had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit, New Jersey officials revealed this week. Raul Luna-Perez had also been spotted speeding in the moments just before the fatal July 26 crash, and eyewitnesses told cops they watched his SUV pass four other vehicles before making the fifth, and fatal, attempt. 4 Dayanara Cortes and Maria Pleitez were U.S. citizens, but will be buried in El Salvador. Advertisement Luna-Perez, 43, was driving more than 60 miles an hour down a residential street in Lakewood when his Dodge Durango rammed into 42-year-old Maria Pleitez's Nissan Sentra, killing her in an instant, investigators said this week. 4 Cops say moments before the crash, Raul Luna-Perez was driving 60 miles per hour on a residential road in Lakewood. Y Smith/TLS Maria's daughter, Dayanara Cortes, 11, died moments after arriving at a nearby hospital. Advertisement The mother and daughter were on their way to Wawa for milkshakes when they were struck, Pleitez's niece, Maria del Carmen Pleitez, 39, told The Post. Dayanara's friend, also an 11-year-old girl, was in the car with them but survived. She has not been identified by police. A woman who was with Luna-Perez at the time of the crash was also injured, but was expected to recover. 4 Luna-Perez is Mexican, but authorities can't pinpoint when, how, or where he entered the U.S. Homeland Security Advertisement Luna-Perez has been illegally living in Red Bank, N.J., since early 2023, federal sources told The Post. It's unclear when and where he crossed into the US. The suspect was free to drive despite two DUI arrests in March and April and a domestic violence arrest in 2023, according to records. Luna-Perez's charges were upgraded to two counts of aggravated manslaughter and two counts of strict liability vehicular homicide Thursday after police received the results of his bloodwork, prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer confirmed. Last week, Luna-Perez was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of assault by auto. Advertisement 4 A wake for Cortes and Pleitez drew more than 150 mourners. Leonardo Munoz Luna-Perez is back in a county jail after spending the last week in an ICE detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, said Billhimer, who plans to keep the accused behind bars until trial. '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,' Billhimer said in a statement. '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.'
New York Post
02-08-2025
- New York Post
Illegal migrant — not deported despite multiple DUI and domestic violence raps — allegedly kills mom, 11-yr-old daughter in horrific wrong-way crash
An illegal immigrant from Mexico was allegedly drunk behind the wheel of a speeding SUV that crossed into incoming traffic and crashed head-on into a compact car, killing an innocent woman and her bright-eyed 11-year-old daughter, New Jersey authorities said. Raul Luna-Perez, 43, has been living in Red Bank, N.J., since early 2023, federal sources told The Post. When and where he allegedly snuck into the U.S. is not known. The suspect has been roaming free despite two DUI arrests in March and April, and a domestic violence arrest in 2023, according to records. 8 Maria Pleitez and Dayanara Cortes were killed in a head-on crash July 26. 8 Photos from the scene show the mangled front-end of Pleitez's car. Y Smith/TLS 'Governor Murphy and his sanctuary policies released this serial criminal into New Jersey communities,' Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told the Post Friday. 'Now, this innocent family is shattered by their failed leadership. 'President Trump and Secretary Noem will continue to do everything in their power to remove these criminal illegal aliens before they destroy more lives.' Luna-Perez's Dodge Durango slammed into Maria Pleitez's Nissan Sentra in the horrific July 26 wreck in Lakewood, NJ, according to local prosecutors. The 42-year-old mother was killed instantly. Her youngest daughter, Dayanara Cortes, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, perished soon after arriving at the hospital. A second, unidentified 11-year-old girl riding in the back seat at the time of the 11:20 p.m. collision, was also injured and rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. She has since been upgraded to stable. Luna-Perez walked away with minor injuries. His two passengers sustained minor injuries, for which they were treated and released. 8 Raul Luna-Perez is a Mexican national. Ocean County Corrections 8 The crash killed Pleitez instantly, while Dayanara died moments after arriving at the hospital. Y Smith/TLS Because he was showing symptoms of intoxication at the crash scene at Cross Street and Hearthstone Drive, blood was drawn from Luna-Perez at the hospital, authorities said. He was later charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and assault by auto. Charges could be added once prosecutors receive the blood test results. In a sad irony, the mother he allegedly killed immigrated from El Salvador years ago. It is unclear if her children were born in the U.S. A GoFundMe campaign is raising money to pay for the bodies to be transported to El Salvador for burial. 'My aunt was a wonderful woman who worked hard everyday to take of care her 2 daughters,' her niece, Maria Celina Aguilar, wrote on the GoFundMe page, which has raised close to $30,000. The mother and daughter are survived by Dayanara's 16-year-old sister, the niece said. The suspect remains in custody at the Ocean County Jail in Toms River on an active ICE immigration detainer, according to online jail records. 8 Dayanara only recently celebrated her 11th birthday. 8 A photo shows police tape encircling Luna-Perez's crumpled SUV. Y Smith/TLS Luna-Perez has been a scofflaw for years, records show. Why he remained in the U.S. after being charged with crimes multiple times is a mystery. New Jersey prosecutors would not even discuss his immigration status, citing state disclosure laws He was arrested in 2008 by Red Bank cops for disorderly conduct. He was charged with assault on Jan. 2, 2023, following a violent incident in the same shore town. That same month, Luna-Perez was busted — again in Red Bank — for leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage, and failure to report an accident. He was later ordered to pay a $970 fine. His rap sheet includes an arrest in June 2023 for domestic violence. The details surrounding that incident were unavailable. Shockingly, Luna-Perez was twice collared for DUI within a month this year, yet continued to walk — and drive — free. He was busted March 20 after a traffic stop on River Street in Red Bank. On April 17, he was stopped by police and again charged for DUI. Prosecutors said Luna-Perez does not yet have a lawyer. 8 The mother and daughter will be buried in El Salvador. 8 Luna-Perez seemed drunk at the crash scene, authorities said. Y Smith/TLS While Red Bank has never declared itself a 'sanctuary city,' officials there adopted a 2017 resolution stating its support for migrants. Under the direction of Gov. Phil Murphy, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal issued a directive in 2018, turning the Garden State into a sanctuary state. In recent years, Republican lawmakers have implored Murphy to 'reevaluate' the state's position on the classification. Since 2018, New Jersey has had a statewide Immigrant Trust Directive, with new mandates designed to foster cooperation and 'strengthen trust between law enforcement officers and immigrant communities.' One of those bars police from even questioning suspects about their immigration status.
