LAKEWOOD – A local man has pled guilty to attempted kidnapping and a number of sexual offenses, officials said.
Quamel Benton, 36, of Farmingdale, pled guilty to Attempted Kidnapping, two counts of Eluding, and Criminal Sexual Contact, all in connection with incidents that occurred on March 21 – continuing into the early morning hours of March 22 – in Lakewood and Toms River.
At the time of his sentencing on December 6, 2024, the State will be seeking a term of seven years New Jersey State Prison (NJSP), subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act, as to the Attempted Kidnapping charge, five years NJSP as to each of the Eluding charges, and 18 months NJSP as to the Criminal Sexual Contact charge. The Attempted Kidnapping charge and one of the Eluding charges are to run concurrently; the Criminal Sexual Contact charge and the second Eluding charge are to run consecutively.
Lakewood Police received a 911 call around 7:30 p.m. March 21 about an attempted kidnapping near Forest Park Circle. Witnesses said a man tried to force a teenage girl into a white SUV. Authorities said that the girl was able to break free, which forced the unidentified man to flee the area.
The police got a description of the suspect and the vehicle. About 90 minutes later, Toms River Police got a report about a sexual assault in the Target parking lot on Hooper Avenue. The victim said she had been approached by a man and grabbed in an inappropriate manner.
According to reports, police saw the vehicle fleeing the parking lot and followed. The vehicle was speeding and driving erratically onto the Garden State Parkway north exit so police ended pursuit to protect other people on the road.
They were able to get a registration number for the vehicle, subsequently identifying the driver as Benton. The information on the driver was tied to the incident in Lakewood and an alert for an aggravated assault that had happened earlier that day in Willingboro Township.
At 12:40 a.m. the next morning, police were called about a man attempting to enter a car occupied by a woman. Police arrived at the scene and identified Benton as the suspect. Benton fled in his SUV and was followed by police. He crashed into a utility pole near the intersection of Route 70 and Whitesville Road. He ran from the vehicle but was apprehended, officials said.
On March 28, Benton was ordered to remain detained in the Burlington County Jail on unrelated charges of Attempted Murder, Aggravated Assault, Endangering an Injured Victim, and five counts of Cruelty and Neglect of Children, arising out of incidents occurring in Willingboro Township, Burlington County, on March 21. Benton has been lodged in the Burlington County Jail since his apprehension.
