Inset, left to right: Ruben Santiago and Caitlin Gibson (Ocean County Corrections). Background: The area in New Jersey where Santiago and Gibson resided with their daughter (Google Maps).
In New Jersey, a father, 36, and a mother, 28, face charges related to the death of their 3-month-old daughter. The parents allegedly caused their child’s skull to fracture during a fatal assault earlier this year.
Authorities announced that a grand jury indicted Ruben Santiago and Caitlin M. Gibson on murder charges. As reported in a press release from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Lakewood Township Police responded to a call at about 7:20 p.m. on May 5. The call concerned an infant experiencing “difficulty breathing” at a home on Pinehurst Drive.
When the first responders arrived, they discovered the 3-month-old was not breathing. Emergency medical teams soon arrived and initiated lifesaving measures before taking the baby to Ocean University Medical Center in Brick Township. Given the serious nature of her condition, she was later moved to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.
Tragically, the baby passed away from her injuries and was declared dead on May 6. An autopsy by the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed that her death resulted from “blunt force trauma to the head resulting in fracturing and subdural hematoma,” according to prosecutors. Her death was deemed a homicide.
During their investigation, authorities found evidence indicating Santiago and Gibson’s involvement in their daughter’s death. They were both taken into custody at the Lakewood Township Police Headquarters on May 7.
Court documents obtained by Patch Media provided additional details about the circumstances of the infant’s death.
According to the report, the medical examiner described the child’s injuries as “devastating,” saying they were similar to injuries “sustained from substantial force” such as “the level of force experienced by a significant motor vehicle crash.”
In addition to the fractured skull, she reportedly also suffered seven broken ribs and a fractured wrist that were in various stages of healing, indicating a history of physical abuse.
At the hospital, the parents reportedly told investigators that their daughter had diarrhea and was vomiting intermittently for a few days. They had even taken her to the hospital where she was given IV fluids the day before she suffered her fatal injuries.
On the night of May 5, Santiago claimed he changed the baby’s diaper and put her down at about 7 p.m. and was found unresponsive by Gibson about 20 minutes later.
Following their arrests, Gibson reportedly refused to speak with investigators. Santiago, on the other hand, allegedly offered numerous explanations for what could have happened to his daughter, including that he dropped a glass bottle on her head, dropped her while crouching, and dropped her while standing. He also allegedly said the infant may have struck her head on a TV stand and the support beam of her bouncer.
Santiago and Gibson have been in custody at the Ocean County Jail without bond since their arrests. It was not immediately clear when they were scheduled to appear in court.
