A New Jersey father pleaded guilty Thursday to beating his 3-month-old daughter to death, authorities said.
Ruben Santiago, a 36-year-old Lakewood resident, copped to one count of aggravated manslaughter, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release. He’ll be facing a 25-year prison term at his sentencing hearing on March 4.
Santiago’s daughter, who has not been publicly named, was found unresponsive at their home in Lakewood, about 50 miles south of Central Park, on May 5, 2025. Following treatment at the residence, she was rushed to Ocean University Medical Center but pronounced dead the next day.
Santiago and the child’s mother, then-28-year-old Caitlin Gibson, were arrested on May 7. At the time, they were both charged with murder. Gibson is still charged with murder, and her case is pending, authorities said Thursday.
Investigators determined that Santiago and Gibson’s daughter was killed with multiple blows to the head, causing a skull fracture and brain bleeding. Santiago and Gibson have been locked up since they were arrested last year
Santiago will also be subject to New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, which requires him to serve at least 85% of his sentence.
Ocean County Chief Trial Attorney Kristin Pressman led the case against Santiago and is also leading the prosecution of Gibson.
