Memorial Service Held for Mother and Daughter Killed in NJ Crash Involving Alleged Drunk Illegal Immigrant

A heartfelt memorial service was held Saturday for Maria Pleitez, 42, and her 11-year-old daughter, Dayanara Cortes, who tragically lost their lives in a head-on collision involving an alleged intoxicated undocumented immigrant driver in New Jersey, the New York Post reports. Family and friends gathered at Lakewood Funeral Home in Howell, many donning shirts bearing the smiling images of the victims. Witnesses described the overwhelming grief, with one mourner tearfully asking, "Why?" at Pleitez’s open casket. The fatal crash occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on July 26, when Raul Luna-Perez, 43, reportedly driving under the influence, collided with Pleitez’s Nissan Sentra while she was en route to buy milkshakes with her daughter and a friend. The collision instantly claimed Pleitez’s life and caused fatal injuries to Dayanara. Luna-Perez, a Mexican national residing in Red Bank since early 2023, faced multiple prior DUI arrests in the spring and was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and assault by auto. Additional charges are anticipated as toxicology results are awaited. Relatives expressed anguish over the fact that Luna-Perez was on the road despite his previous arr...