NJ Parents Charged With Infant’s Brutal Murder: ‘Devastating’
OCEAN COUNTY, N.J. — A New Jersey couple has been charged in the death of their 3-month-old daughter, whose injuries were so severe a medical examiner compared them to the trauma suffered in a “significant motor vehicle crash.”
Ruben Santiago, 36, and Caitlin M. Gibson, 28, were indicted Wednesday on murder charges stemming from the May 2025 killing of their infant. Both remain in custody at the Ocean County Department of Corrections.
The couple initially called 911 on May 5 at about 7:20 p.m., reporting their daughter was unresponsive and struggling to breathe. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors found extensive injuries including brain bleeding, seven fractured ribs, and a broken wrist. Despite efforts to save her, the baby died the following morning.
Shifting Stories
Investigators said Santiago gave conflicting explanations for the child’s injuries. He first claimed he dropped a glass bottle on the baby’s head, later changing his story to say she slipped from his hands while being lifted from a bouncer and may have struck her head on a metal frame or TV stand.
Medical examiners rejected those explanations, ruling the death a homicide caused by blunt force trauma that fractured the skull and caused a subdural hematoma.
‘Devastating’ Findings
According to the affidavit, the medical examiner told authorities the infant’s wounds were “devastating,” consistent only with force comparable to a major car accident.
Prior Medical Visit
Court records reveal the baby had been hospitalized the day before her death, after suffering vomiting and diarrhea. She was treated with intravenous fluids and discharged on May 4.
Ongoing Case
Gibson and Santiago were both denied bond and are being held pending trial. A court date has not yet been scheduled.
Authorities have not released the child’s name, citing her age and privacy considerations.
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