A family milkshake run ends in tragedy and the suspect shouldn’t have been on the road at all.
A young mother, 42-year-old Maria Pleitez, and her 11-year-old daughter, Dayanara Cortes, were killed on a quiet summer evening in Lakewood, New Jersey. Prosecutors say the man who struck them was driving drunk at three times the legal limit.
The driver, Raul Luna-Perez, 43, is in the U.S. illegally and had two prior DUI arrests in March and April 2025 and a domestic violence arrest in 2023, before the deadly July 26 crash. Yet, somehow, he was still behind the wheel.
A Fatal Attempt to Pass
According to investigators, Luna-Perez was speeding at over 60 mph on a residential street when his Dodge Durango slammed head-on into a Nissan Sentra carrying 42-year-old Maria Pleitez and her daughter, Dayanara Cortes.
Witnesses said Luna-Perez had been seen recklessly weaving through traffic, passing four cars before making a fifth, fatal attempt. The impact killed Maria instantly. Dayanara died shortly after at a nearby hospital.
The two were on their way to Wawa to get milkshakes, according to a family member.
Dayanara’s friend, another 11-year-old girl, survived the crash and has not been publicly identified. A female passenger in Luna-Perez’s SUV was also injured but is expected to recover.
He Was Already Known to Police
Federal sources confirmed that Luna-Perez has been living illegally in Red Bank, New Jersey, since early 2023. Records show he was arrested for DUIs in both March and April 2025, and faced a domestic violence arrest in 2023.
Despite that, he was not in custody and had access to a vehicle.
Following the July 26 crash, Luna-Perez was initially charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of assault by auto. But after toxicology results confirmed his blood alcohol level was triple the legal limit, prosecutors upgraded the charges to two counts of aggravated manslaughter and two counts of strict liability vehicular homicide.
Back from ICE to Face Justice
Luna-Perez had been in ICE detention for the past week, but was returned to Ocean County Jail to face the upgraded charges.
“Thanks to the cooperation of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Luna-Perez has been returned to Ocean County to face these upgraded charges,” said Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
“His return sends a clear message that our federal partners share in our mission to hold those individuals that commit serious crimes accountable — regardless of their immigration status.”
Billhimer confirmed he plans to keep the defendant in custody through trial.
