A baby died in a Jackson parking lot. Now ICE is involved

☑️ICE has placed detainers on both women charged in the fatal Ocean County crash

☑️A 9-month-old boy died after a car struck his stroller outside a grocery store

☑️ICE did not disclose the women's immigration status or when it may take custody

JACKSON — ICE has placed detainers on both women charged in the death of a 9-month-old boy in the parking lot of an Ocean County grocery store.

Maria CobonGuzman, 20, of Trenton was behind the wheel of a Ford Fusion that struck a mother and the baby carriage with her son and 5-year-old daughter in the parking lot of the NPGS grocery store on West County Line Road on Friday, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer. The child later died at a hospital.

Despite knowing CobonGuzman had never been issued a driver's license in New Jersey or anywhere else, Ariadna Lazaroflores, 22, of Toms River lent her the sedan anyway. She is charged with knowingly engaging in conduct creating a substantial risk of death to another.

CobonGuzman is charged with manslaughter, operating a motor vehicle without ever having possessed or been issued a valid driver's license while involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash, and two counts of assault by auto.

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Police response to an incident at the Jackson NPGS grocery store Friday. August 28. 2026

ICE detainers add a new layer to the Ocean County case

CobonGuzman's Ocean County Jail record shows she was born in Guatemala and is a current citizen. Lazaroflores is also a current citizen of Mexico, which is her birthplace.

An immigration detainer is a request from ICE that asks a federal, state or local law enforcement agency, including jails, prisons or other confinement facilities, to hold an individual for up to 48 hours beyond the time they would ordinarily release them.

This gives the Department of Homeland Security time to assume custody in accordance with federal immigration law. New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive does not allow law enforcement to work with ICE or hold an individual past their scheduled release unless specific criteria are met.

The dates of CobonGuzman's and Lazaroflores' detention hearings and the names of their legal counsel were not disclosed.

ICE did not respond to an inquiry about CobonGuzman's and Lazaroflores' immigration status.

This report corrects the spelling of Ariadna Lazaroflores' name which had been  provided in an earlier release from the Prosecutor's Office

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