After months in jail, officials finally clear Lakewood mother in newborn’s death
⚖️ Lakewood mother released from jail after father admits sole responsibility in newborn’s death
⚖️ Charges against Caitlin Gibson will be dismissed after sentencing, prosecutors say
💔 Defense says family can finally grieve after months of incarceration and uncertainty
LAKEWOOD — After a Lakewood man admitted to being the only person who caused the death of his newborn, the baby’s mother has been released from jail.
Caitlin Gibson was released on pretrial monitoring on Thursday, the same day that Ruben Santiago pleaded guilty to the aggravated manslaughter of their three-month-old daughter.
“From day one, Caitlin and her family have maintained her innocence,” defense attorney Mitchell Ansell said in a written statement received by New Jersey 101.5, calling his client’s release the “light at the end of the criminal justice tunnel.”
The 28-year-old Gibson had been in custody since May, when she and the 36-year-old Santiago were both arrested and initially charged with murder.
Her reunion with family included her other child, Ansell said.
According to the Ocean County medical examiner, the infant died from extremely violent injuries, including a brain bleed and skull fracture.
Read More: Ocean County father pleads guilty to causing baby girl's death
Charges against mother to be dismissed, prosecutors confirm
Charges against Gibson will be dismissed after Santiago is sentenced, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office confirmed to New Jersey 101.5.
“Ruben Santiago accepted full responsibility for his actions that led to the tragic and senseless death of their baby.,” Ansell also said in his statement, adding that “Santiago also completely absolved Caitlin of any wrongdoing and knowledge of this crime,” during his recent plea hearing before Ocean County Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan.
On May 6, the infant died from extremely violent injuries, including a brain bleed and skull fracture.
Dad gave conflicting stories on baby's injuries
Leading up to his arrest last year, Santiago gave conflicting stories to police, first saying that he had dropped a glass bottle on the baby’s head on May 5, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed by investigators.
He then said that he had dropped the newborn after picking her up from a baby seat, and later added that her head might have hit a TV stand.
Santiago also went from saying he was crouched down to standing up at the time of dropping the infant victim, the same affidavit said.
The medical examiner previously said none of those scenarios could have caused the "devastating" injuries the newborn had suffered, which were a result of "substantial force.”
Father faces decades in prison at sentencing
Santiago was expected to face up to 25 years in prison, when sentenced on March 4.
“It is our hope that Caitlin and her family will now be able to appropriately mourn the loss of her beloved daughter,” Ansell also said.
He added “Caitlin is immensely grateful for all who have supported her during this time of unimaginable grief.”
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