Farmingdale Man Charged In Kidnap Attempt, Groping In Ocean County Ordered Held In Jail

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Monmouth County man who is accused of trying to kidnap a Lakewood girl and groping a woman in Toms River has been ordered held in jail until trial, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced.

Quamel J. Benton, 35, whose mailing address is in Farmingdale, will remain in the Burlington County jail where he has been since he was arrested March 22 following a string of attacks that began in Burlington County and included the kidnapping attempt, the groping and an attempt to take a car from another woman, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Benton is accused of trying to pull a teenage girl in Lakewood into his vehicle about 7:30 p.m. on March 21 and of sexually assaulting a woman in the parking lot at Target about 90 minutes later, authorities have said. He also is accused of trying to get into a vehicle about 12:40 a.m. March 22 in Toms River that was occupied by a woman, then taking off and leading police on a chase that ended in a crash and Benton's arrest, authorities have said.

Benton also is charged in Burlington County in connection with an attack that happened earlier on March 21, before the incidents in Ocean County, authorities said.

Benton has been charged in Ocean County with attempted kidnapping; luring; endangering the welfare of a child; criminal sexual contact; two counts of eluding; resisting arrest, and obstruction, Billhimer said.

He is charged in Burlington County with attempted murder, aggravated assault, endangering an injured victim, and five counts of cruelty and neglect of children in connection with incidents in Willingboro, the prosecutor's office said, and he was ordered held in those incidents in a March 28 detention hearing in Burlington County.

The Asbury Park Press reported Benton is accused of hitting his pregnant girlfriend in the face and head with an aluminum bat about 6:15 p.m. on March 21, according to authorities, who said Benton's 14-year-old son, the oldest of five children, called 911 to report the attack. The girlfriend was taken to the hospital and was in critical condition, the report said.

Benton then took off in his girlfriend's SUV, the report said.

Benton's attorney said Benton believes he was drugged and said the incidents were "out of character," that report said.