By: Richard L. Smith
A Farmingdale man has been sentenced to seven years in New Jersey State Prison in connection with a series of crimes that occurred in March 2024, according to information released by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Quamel Benton, 36, was sentenced by Judge Kenneth T. Palmer on January 10, 2025, for his guilty plea to attempted kidnapping.
He also received additional sentences of five years each for two counts of eluding and 18 months for criminal sexual contact.
Some of the sentences will run consecutively, extending his time in prison.
The charges stem from incidents on March 21-22, 2024, in Lakewood and Toms River. According to authorities, Benton attempted to kidnap a teenage girl in Lakewood and fled when she escaped.
Later that evening, he sexually assaulted a woman in a Toms River parking lot and led police on a high-speed chase that was terminated for safety reasons.
In the early hours of March 22, police apprehended Benton after he crashed his vehicle during another pursuit and attempted to flee on foot.
Judge Palmer also imposed mandatory fines, penalties, and a suspension of Benton’s driving privileges following his guilty plea to driving while intoxicated.
Benton originally entered his guilty pleas in October 2024.
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit, along with police departments in Lakewood and Toms River, conducted the investigation.
Authorities encourage anyone with further information about the incidents to come forward.