The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office says a man from Seaside Heights has been sentenced to 35 years in state prison for fatally stabbing a woman at a motel last year.

51-year-old Gerardo Ruiz was sentenced this week after pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter in connection to the death of 29-year-old Alecia Perreault, also of Seaside Heights.

According to authorities, on the morning of May 1, 2021, Seaside Heights Police received a call from a person claiming to have knowledge that Ruiz killed a woman at the Offshore Motel in Seaside Heights.

Officers responded to a room at that motel and found the body of Perreault, "with apparent wounds to her neck."

Get our free mobile app

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Offshore Motel in Seaside Heights NJ - Photo: Google Maps
Offshore Motel in Seaside Heights NJ - Photo: Google Maps
loading...

Authorities then responded to Ruiz's room at a different motel in the borough and discovered that he had experienced an apparent drug overdose. He was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, and Seaside Heights Police Department Detective Bureau, determined that Ruiz was the individual responsible for Ms. Perreault’s death.

Ruiz's sentence will be subject to the No Early Release Act, which means he must serve at least 85 percent of his term, or almost 30 years, before becoming eligible for parole.

Beautiful and Stunning Jersey Shore Sunrise Photos in Seaside Heights, NJ

Gorgeous Views from sunrise at the beach in Seaside Heights

Demolition of the Bamboo Bar in Seaside Heights, NJ

The Bamboo Bar on the Boulevard in Seaside Heights, NJ that gained notoriety on MTV's "Jersey Shore" was demolished on Friday 10/29/21 clearing the way for a new future condo and retail development.

More From 105.7 The Hawk