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The suspect was found suffering from a drug overdose in a separate motel and later charged with murder, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer
Gerardo Ruiz, 50, of Seaside Heights is accused of killing Alecia Perreault, 29, also of Seaside Heights early Saturday morning, Billhimer said.
At about 7:30 a.m., Seaside Heights police received a telephone call from an individual claiming to have knowledge that Ruiz killed a woman at the Offshore Motel in Seaside Heights. The caller said that Ruiz was staying at the Surfside Motel, also in Seaside Heights.
Officers responded to a room at the Offshore Motel, where they found Perreault's body and apparent wounds to her neck, the prosecutor said.
Perreault was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers subsequently responded to Ruiz’s room at the Surfside Motel, and found that he had experienced an apparent drug overdose, Billhimer said.
Ruiz was in the protective custody of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office at a medical facility. He was listed in serious but stable condition.
The Ocean County Medical Examiner has preliminarily determined this to be a homicide but the cause and manner are pending further testing, Billhimer said.
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