Lakewood, N.J. (WPVI) — A Lakewood couple has been charged with first-degree murder following the death of their 3-month-old daughter, authorities announced.
Caitlin Gibson, 28, and Ruben Santiago, 36, were arrested on Wednesday and face charges related to the infant’s death, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Police responded to a call on Pinehurst Drive in Lakewood after reports that a baby was having trouble breathing. When officers arrived, they found the child unresponsive. She was rushed to a nearby hospital and later transferred to a pediatric intensive care unit. The infant died the next day.
An autopsy determined that the baby died from blunt force trauma to the head. The injuries included internal bleeding and a skull fracture, prosecutors said.
The couple appeared in court for the first time on Thursday. They remain in custody at the Ocean County Jail, pending a detention hearing scheduled for next Tuesday.
Neighbors in the apartment building expressed shock at the news. One woman, who lives down the hall from the couple and wished to remain anonymous, said, “It’s horrible. Terrible. I don’t know what could’ve happened.”
Kevin Darbo, a father who lives nearby, said the news was difficult to process. “As a parent, I can’t imagine somebody doing something like that to a 3-month-old,” he said. “It’s a bad situation all around.”
Residents said they noticed police activity earlier in the week, but only recently learned the tragic details.
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