Illegal Alien Kills Mother, Daughter — NJ Judge Sets Him Free

In a move that has outraged law-abiding Americans, a New Jersey judge in the so-called “sanctuary state” allowed a drunk-driving illegal alien accused of killing a mother and her 11-year-old daughter to walk free — despite prosecutors warning he posed an obvious danger to the public.

The case involves 43-year-old Raul Luna-Perez, an illegal alien from Mexico, who authorities say was drunk — with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit — when he crossed into oncoming traffic in Lakewood Township on July 26. His vehicle slammed head-on into the car driven by 42-year-old Maria Pleitez, killing her instantly. Her daughter, 11-year-old Dayanara Cortes, was rushed to the hospital but died shortly after. Another 11-year-old passenger survived but remains in serious condition.

According to police, Luna-Perez was no stranger to criminal behavior. He had been arrested twice in the last year for drunk driving and had a domestic violence complaint on his record from 2023. But instead of being deported, New Jersey’s radical sanctuary state policies shielded him from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), allowing him to stay in the country illegally.

Despite his record — and the devastation allegedly caused by his reckless actions — Ocean County Superior Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels rejected prosecutors’ push to keep him behind bars. Instead, Daniels allowed Luna-Perez to walk free with an ankle monitor, ordering only that he stay at home, avoid driving, and undergo a substance abuse evaluation.

The decision highlights the growing dangers of “sanctuary justice,” where criminal illegal aliens are treated with kid gloves while American families pay the ultimate price.

Thankfully, ICE eventually took custody of Luna-Perez, holding him at their detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey. But the reprieve for the grieving family was short-lived — local authorities soon took him back into custody after filing two additional counts of aggravated manslaughter and strict liability vehicular homicide. Prosecutors are now pushing to keep him behind bars until trial.

This tragedy serves as yet another reminder that sanctuary state policies are not harmless political statements. They cost lives — often the lives of innocent Americans — while shielding repeat offenders from the consequences they would face in any sane system of justice.

Maria Pleitez and her daughter Dayanara are gone forever. The question for New Jersey’s leaders is: How many more families must be destroyed before they put public safety ahead of protecting illegal aliens?

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