Tragic Collision Involving Illegal Immigrant Highlights Gaps in Immigration Enforcement
In a devastating incident that occurred in July, an illegal immigrant was involved in a head-on collision that claimed the lives of a New Jersey mother and her 11-year-old daughter. The perpetrator, Raul Luna-Perez, a 43-year-old Mexican national, reportedly had three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system at the time of the crash, as confirmed by law enforcement officials.
Luna-Perez’s record reveals a troubling pattern: prior arrests for driving under the influence in both March and April, coupled with a domestic violence charge in 2023, raise serious questions about how he remained in the country. Such a history seems to scream for deportation long before this tragic and preventable accident occurred in Lakewood on July 26.
As reported by the New York Post, Luna-Perez was speeding over 60 miles per hour down a residential street when his Dodge Durango collided with Maria Pleitez’s Nissan Sentra, instantly killing the 42-year-old mother. Her daughter, Dayanara Cortes, succumbed to her injuries shortly after arriving at a nearby hospital. Pleitez’s niece, Maria del Carmen Pleitez, shared that the mother and daughter were en route to Wawa for milkshakes, an ordinary trip turned tragic.
In a twist of fate, an 11-year-old friend of Dayanara’s who was in the car survived the horrific crash. Additionally, another woman traveling with Luna-Perez also survived, raising further questions about the circumstances leading to this accident.
While it remains unclear when Luna-Perez entered the United States, he had been residing in Red Bank, New Jersey, since 2023, as per The Post’s findings. Following the incident, he has been charged with two counts of aggravated manslaughter and two counts of strict liability vehicular homicide. Initially detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Luna-Perez was transferred back to county jail after his charges were escalated last week.
Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer stated, “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.” He emphasized that this case exemplifies the commitment to hold individuals accountable for serious crimes, irrespective of their immigration status.
