A New Jersey father admitted he killed his 3-month-old daughter last year by continuously striking her in the head.
Ruben Santiago, 36, of Lakewood, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter on Thursday, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said. He was charged with murder following the baby’s death on May 6, 2025.
Santiago faces up to 25 years in state prison when he is sentenced on March 4.
A murder charge is still pending against the girl’s mother, Caitlin M. Gibson. Gibson was 28 when she was arrested.
Both have been held at the Ocean County jail since being arrested the day after their daughter’s death.
Lakewood police were called to a home on Pinehurst Drive around 7:20 p.m. on May 5, 2025 and found a baby who was having difficulty breathing, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said.
The girl died of her injuries at an area hospital the next day.
An investigation revealed the baby suffered a fractured skull from repeated blows to the head, causing brain bleeding.
Gibson and Santiago were indicted in September.
