A New Jersey couple, Ruben Santiago, 36, and Caitlin M. Gibson, 28, are facing charges for the alleged murder of their three-month-old daughter. The severity of the infant’s injuries led the medical examiner to liken the force to that of a significant car crash. The couple was initially arrested on May 7, following the hospitalization of their daughter.
On the evening of May 5, Santiago and Gibson dialed 911, reporting their baby was unresponsive and having difficulty breathing. The infant was immediately taken to the hospital. Medical professionals discovered the baby had suffered brain bleeding, seven broken ribs, and a fractured wrist. Tragically, the little girl passed away the next morning.
The parents were interviewed by police at the hospital. They claimed that the baby had started vomiting and experiencing diarrhea on May 3. The couple had taken her to the hospital on May 4, where she was treated with intravenous fluids and subsequently discharged.
Santiago informed authorities that he discovered the baby’s body limp when he went to change her diaper between 6 and 7 p.m. on May 5. The cause of the baby’s death was determined to be a homicide, resulting from blunt force trauma to the head that led to a skull fracture and subdural hematoma.
Initially, Santiago told police that he had accidentally dropped a glass bottle on the baby’s head. However, he later altered his account, stating that the child had slipped from his hands while he was removing her from a bouncer. He suggested that the baby might have hit her head on the bouncer’s metal support or possibly against the TV stand.
Contrary to Santiago’s claims, the medical examiner reported that the infant’s injuries were “devastating” and were the result of “substantial force, compared to the level of force experienced by a significant motor vehicle crash.” Currently, Gibson and Santiago are being held in custody, awaiting trial. The trial date has not yet been scheduled.