Mother Free In 3-Month-Old Daughter's Death, Charges To Be Dropped, Prosecutor Says

LAKEWOOD, NJ — The mother of a 3-month-old baby who died from a subdural hematoma in skull fractures May will have the charges against her dropped when the baby's father is sentenced in March, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office confirmed Friday afternoon.

Caitlin M. Gibson, 28, was released on pretrial monitoring on Thursday, the prosecutor's office confirmed.

Ruben Santiago, the baby's father, pleaded guilty on Thursday to aggravated manslaughter in the baby's death, the prosecutor's office said Thursday. Santiago, 36, is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4 by Ryan.

Santiago and Gibson were charged with murder May 7, following an autopsy by Ocean County Medical Examiner Dr. Elizabeth Rouse that found the \baby girl had two skull fractures in addition to the hematoma, and seven broken ribs and a fractured wrist that were in the process of healing at the time of her death.

The infant had died May 6 at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where she had been transferred after she had been rushed to Ocean University Medical Center in Brick Township after Gibson called 911 because the baby was having trouble breathing on the evening of May 5.

The baby was limp and unresponsive when EMTs arrived, according to the probable cause affidavit in the case.

Santiago had offered multiple explanations for what happened leading up to the couple's baby being taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center on the evening of May 5, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Gibson declined to speak with law enforcement at the time of her arrest, authorities said. At the hospital, she told officers that the baby had been vomiting on May 3 and had been taken to the emergency room to be examined. The girl was given intravenous fluids and released from the hospital, according to the affidavit.

The baby continued to vomit the following day, and on May 5, Santiago noticed she was limp when he changed her diaper, between 6 and 7 p.m., the affidavit said. Gibson called 911 about 7:20 p.m. that day, according to the affidavit.

Gibson's attorney, Mitchell Ansell, told the Asbury Park Press that Santiago had "completely absolved Caitlin of any wrongdoing and knowledge of this crime." He said Santiago said Gibson was not home when Santiago beat the baby and investigation by both his investigator and prosecutor's detectives confirmed that, the report said.

Prosecutors said they will be seeking a 25-year prison sentence for Santiago subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act in March.