A Red Bank man has been sentenced to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison for a horrific Lakewood crash that killed a 42-year-old woman and an 11-year-old girl.

Raul Luna-Perez, 43, was sentenced Friday by Judge Guy P. Ryan to 10 years in prison on each of two counts of Aggravated Manslaughter. The sentences will run consecutively, resulting in a total 20-year prison sentence.

Under the No Early Release Act, Luna-Perez will be required to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Judge Ryan also sentenced Luna-Perez to 18 months in prison on an Assault by Auto charge stemming from the same incident. That sentence will run concurrently with the other sentences.

The sentencing stems from a devastating crash that occurred at approximately 11:20 p.m. on July 26, 2025, at the intersection of Cross Street and Hearthstone Drive in Lakewood.

Investigators determined that Luna-Perez was driving a Dodge Durango eastbound on Cross Street when he crossed into the oncoming lane and collided head-on with a Nissan Sentra.

The driver of the Nissan, Maria Pleitez, 42, of Lakewood, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

An 11-year-old girl who was seated in the front passenger seat was transported to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, where she later succumbed to her injuries. A second 11-year-old girl who was seated in the rear of the vehicle was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for treatment and was subsequently released.

The passenger in Luna-Perez’s Dodge Durango was also hospitalized with minor injuries and later released.

First responders detected signs that Luna-Perez was impaired following the crash. A subsequent court-authorized blood draw revealed that his blood alcohol concentration was at least .19, more than twice New Jersey’s legal limit of .08.

Investigators also found cocaine metabolites in his blood, and toxicology results determined that he was under the influence of both substances at the time of the crash.

Further investigation revealed that Luna-Perez was accelerating at approximately 60 miles per hour and crossed over the double yellow line while passing four other vehicles before crashing into the Nissan.

Luna-Perez was initially charged with Vehicular Homicide and Assault by Auto. Following the blood test results and continued investigation, the charges were upgraded to two counts of Aggravated Manslaughter and two counts of Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide.

He was taken into custody at an ICE detention facility in Elizabeth on August 7, 2025, and has remained detained in the Ocean County Jail since that time.

Luna-Perez pleaded guilty to the charges before Judge Ryan on June 15, 2026.