On Saturday, over 150 people came together to remember a mother and her 11-year-old daughter who tragically lost their lives in a head-on crash caused by an intoxicated driver, an illegal immigrant.
Among the mourners were family and friends visibly shaken, some wearing shirts emblazoned with images of Maria Plates and her daughter, Dayanara Cortez. They filed into the Lakewood Funeral Home in Howell, keeping a solemn atmosphere as they paid their respects.
At one moment, a relative leaned over the open casket, expressing his sorrow with repeated utterances of “How terrible” in English, mixed with Spanish words like “Por qué?” and “Why?” It was a striking display of grief that resonated in the room.
Also present at the wake were Dayanara’s father and a friend who had survived the crash that occurred on July 26. Earlier that night, Pleitez had taken the two girls to a local Wawa for milkshakes when a Dodge Durango, driven by 43-year-old Raul Luna-Perez, collided with their Nissan Sentra.
Maria was killed instantly, and Dayanara succumbed to her injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Luna-Perez has been charged with two counts of murder and aggravated assault. The prosecutor is awaiting the results of a blood alcohol level test to determine if additional charges are forthcoming.
This wasn’t Luna-Perez’s first brush with the law; he was arrested twice for DUI earlier this spring in Red Bank, New Jersey.
Maria del Carmen Plates described her aunt as a dedicated, cat-loving individual who became a U.S. citizen after moving from El Salvador 24 years ago. She reflected, “She was a happy person. Whenever she was around, she brought joy. She never stayed mad or upset. She had this incredible strength.”
Maria Pleitez had worked for years in a painting division at a promotional products company, and her absence has left a significant void. “She was the family anchor,” Maria del Carmen Plates said. “She was raising two daughters and managed to maintain her own apartment.”
The heartache extends to Plates’ 16-year-old daughter, who is struggling to cope. “It’s so hard. It feels like we can’t fully process this. Every morning, you wake up and it just doesn’t seem real.”
