Topline: Investigators say the infant’s injuries couldn’t be explained by the parents’ conflicting stories.
Published: September 17, 2025 9:00 am ET
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Ruben Santiago, left, and Caitlin Gibson (via Ocean County Corrections)
LAKEWOOD, NJ — A New Jersey couple has been indicted on murder charges following the death of their three-month-old daughter earlier this year, a case authorities are calling both tragic and deeply disturbing.
Ruben Santiago, 36, and Caitlin Gibson, 28, were formally indicted by a grand jury on September 10 in connection with the infant’s death on May 6, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
The child had suffered what the Ocean County Medical Examiner later described as “devastating” injuries consistent with “substantial force.”
Police were first called to the couple’s Pinehurst Drive home on the evening of May 5. Gibson had phoned 911 just after 7:20 p.m., reporting that her daughter was having trouble breathing. When officers arrived, she led them inside where Santiago was holding the unresponsive infant.
Emergency responders from Lakewood Township EMS rushed the baby to Ocean University Medical Center in Brick before she was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. She died the following morning.
In statements to police at the hospital, both parents said the child had been vomiting and suffering from diarrhea since May 3, and had been taken to the hospital on May 4. At that time, she received intravenous fluids and was discharged. Gibson told officers the baby had seemed to improve the next day, only vomiting a few times before her condition suddenly worsened that evening.
But the medical findings painted a different picture.
A post-mortem examination conducted on May 7 revealed the infant had suffered blunt force trauma to the head, including a skull fracture and subdural hematoma. The cause of death was ruled a homicide. In addition to those fatal injuries, the medical examiner noted seven healing rib fractures and a broken wrist, injuries that indicated past trauma—not the result of emergency life-saving efforts.
An affidavit filed in the case noted that Santiago initially gave police multiple, conflicting accounts of what had happened. He first claimed a glass bottle had fallen on the baby’s head. Later, he said he had dropped the child while picking her up from an infant seat, first stating he had been crouched, then that he had been standing. Santiago also suggested she might have struck her head on the bouncer’s metal support or a nearby TV stand.
But none of those explanations matched the severity of the injuries, according to forensic experts. Medical Examiner Dr. Rouse concluded the trauma was akin to what might be seen in a serious car crash, rejecting the possibility that the injuries could have occurred accidentally in the way Santiago described, according to NJ 101.5.
Both parents were arrested on May 7 following a joint investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime and Special Victims Units, the Lakewood Township Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office CSI Unit. Since then, Santiago and Gibson have been held at the Ocean County Jail.
Prosecutor Billhimer credited Chief Trial Attorney Kristin Pressman for presenting the case to the grand jury and praised the investigative agencies involved for their diligence.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Published: September 17, 2025 9:00 am ET
Ruben Santiago, left, and Caitlin Gibson (via Ocean County Corrections)
LAKEWOOD, NJ — A New Jersey couple has been indicted on murder charges following the death of their three-month-old daughter earlier this year, a case authorities are calling both tragic and deeply disturbing.
Ruben Santiago, 36, and Caitlin Gibson, 28, were formally indicted by a grand jury on September 10 in connection with the infant’s death on May 6, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
The child had suffered what the Ocean County Medical Examiner later described as “devastating” injuries consistent with “substantial force.”
Police were first called to the couple’s Pinehurst Drive home on the evening of May 5. Gibson had phoned 911 just after 7:20 p.m., reporting that her daughter was having trouble breathing. When officers arrived, she led them inside where Santiago was holding the unresponsive infant.
Emergency responders from Lakewood Township EMS rushed the baby to Ocean University Medical Center in Brick before she was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. She died the following morning.
In statements to police at the hospital, both parents said the child had been vomiting and suffering from diarrhea since May 3, and had been taken to the hospital on May 4. At that time, she received intravenous fluids and was discharged. Gibson told officers the baby had seemed to improve the next day, only vomiting a few times before her condition suddenly worsened that evening.
But the medical findings painted a different picture.
A post-mortem examination conducted on May 7 revealed the infant had suffered blunt force trauma to the head, including a skull fracture and subdural hematoma. The cause of death was ruled a homicide. In addition to those fatal injuries, the medical examiner noted seven healing rib fractures and a broken wrist, injuries that indicated past trauma—not the result of emergency life-saving efforts.
An affidavit filed in the case noted that Santiago initially gave police multiple, conflicting accounts of what had happened. He first claimed a glass bottle had fallen on the baby’s head. Later, he said he had dropped the child while picking her up from an infant seat, first stating he had been crouched, then that he had been standing. Santiago also suggested she might have struck her head on the bouncer’s metal support or a nearby TV stand.
But none of those explanations matched the severity of the injuries, according to forensic experts. Medical Examiner Dr. Rouse concluded the trauma was akin to what might be seen in a serious car crash, rejecting the possibility that the injuries could have occurred accidentally in the way Santiago described, according to NJ 101.5.
Both parents were arrested on May 7 following a joint investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime and Special Victims Units, the Lakewood Township Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office CSI Unit. Since then, Santiago and Gibson have been held at the Ocean County Jail.
Prosecutor Billhimer credited Chief Trial Attorney Kristin Pressman for presenting the case to the grand jury and praised the investigative agencies involved for their diligence.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Grand Jury Indicts New Jersey Couple for Murder of 3-Month-Old Daughter
Investigators say the infant’s injuries couldn’t be explained by the parents’ conflicting stories.
By Jacob Charles
Published: September 17, 2025 9:00 am ET
Ruben Santiago, left, and Caitlin Gibson (via Ocean County Corrections)
LAKEWOOD, NJ — A New Jersey couple has been indicted on murder charges following the death of their three-month-old daughter earlier this year, a case authorities are calling both tragic and deeply disturbing.
Ruben Santiago, 36, and Caitlin Gibson, 28, were formally indicted by a grand jury on September 10 in connection with the infant’s death on May 6, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
The child had suffered what the Ocean County Medical Examiner later described as “devastating” injuries consistent with “substantial force.”
Police were first called to the couple’s Pinehurst Drive home on the evening of May 5. Gibson had phoned 911 just after 7:20 p.m., reporting that her daughter was having trouble breathing. When officers arrived, she led them inside where Santiago was holding the unresponsive infant.
Emergency responders from Lakewood Township EMS rushed the baby to Ocean University Medical Center in Brick before she was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. She died the following morning.
In statements to police at the hospital, both parents said the child had been vomiting and suffering from diarrhea since May 3, and had been taken to the hospital on May 4. At that time, she received intravenous fluids and was discharged. Gibson told officers the baby had seemed to improve the next day, only vomiting a few times before her condition suddenly worsened that evening.
But the medical findings painted a different picture.
A post-mortem examination conducted on May 7 revealed the infant had suffered blunt force trauma to the head, including a skull fracture and subdural hematoma. The cause of death was ruled a homicide. In addition to those fatal injuries, the medical examiner noted seven healing rib fractures and a broken wrist, injuries that indicated past trauma—not the result of emergency life-saving efforts.
An affidavit filed in the case noted that Santiago initially gave police multiple, conflicting accounts of what had happened. He first claimed a glass bottle had fallen on the baby’s head. Later, he said he had dropped the child while picking her up from an infant seat, first stating he had been crouched, then that he had been standing. Santiago also suggested she might have struck her head on the bouncer’s metal support or a nearby TV stand.
But none of those explanations matched the severity of the injuries, according to forensic experts. Medical Examiner Dr. Rouse concluded the trauma was akin to what might be seen in a serious car crash, rejecting the possibility that the injuries could have occurred accidentally in the way Santiago described, according to NJ 101.5.
Both parents were arrested on May 7 following a joint investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime and Special Victims Units, the Lakewood Township Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office CSI Unit. Since then, Santiago and Gibson have been held at the Ocean County Jail.
Prosecutor Billhimer credited Chief Trial Attorney Kristin Pressman for presenting the case to the grand jury and praised the investigative agencies involved for their diligence.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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