Lakewood attempted kidnap suspect says he was drugged before out-of-character crime spree

TOMS RIVER - A 35-year-old Farmingdale man accused of trying to kidnap a girl in Lakewood, molesting a woman in Toms River and trying to kill his girlfriend in Burlington County believes he was drugged prior to the crime spree because the offenses he is accused of are completely out of character for him, his attorney told a judge Wednesday.

Defense attorney Danny Ljungberg of the Ocean County Public Defender's Office made that argument before Superior Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels in an attempt to secure Quamel Benton's release from jail.

But Daniels, saying the allegations against Benton are "serious and considerable,'' ordered the defendant to remain jailed without bail to await trial.

"Until we understand what's transpiring with this individual, the court does not feel home detention would even be appropriate at this time,'' Daniels said.

The attempted murder of Benton's girlfriend, attempted kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl in Lakewood, molestation of a woman at the Target store in Toms River, dangerous attempts to elude police and stealing a bottle of cognac from a liquor store in Toms River all occurred during a continuing course of conduct from about 6 p.m. until midnight on March 21, the judge noted.

"That period of time was dangerous, frightening and traumatic to members of the community, and he did pose a serious threat to the community at that time,'' Daniels said of Benton.

Victoria Veni, an assistant Ocean County prosecutor, argued that Benton should be jailed. She outlined the crimes Benton is accused of.

About 6:15 p.m. on March 21, Benton's 14-year-old son, the oldest of five children, called 911 to report that Benton attacked his mother, Benton's girlfriend who is five months pregnant, at their home in Willingboro, Burlington County, Veni told the judge. The boy told police that Benton struck his mother on the head and face with an aluminum baseball bat, Veni said. The victim was flown to a hospital in critical condition, she said.

Benton was then seen leaving the area in his girlfriend's Nissan Pathfinder, Veni said. He was wearing a white tank top and a gold chain, she said.

At 7:30 p.m., police in Lakewood received a 911 call about an attempted kidnapping there, Veni said. The victim, a 13-year-old girl, was walking down the street when a man pulled up in a vehicle, told her to get in and, when she turned to run away, exited the vehicle, grabbed her by the back of her jacket and tried to drag her back to the vehicle, the assistant prosecutor said.

The girl fought off the would-be kidnapper and broke free, tearing off a piece of his white tank top in the process, Veni said.

The girl described the white tank top her assailant was wearing for police, Veni said.

At 8:52 p.m., a 911 call came in to Toms River police from a 29-year-old woman who was walking alongside her mother to her car in the parking lot of the Target store, carrying bags of groceries, when a man came up behind her and molested her, Veni said.

The woman took video of the man as he drove away in the same vehicle Benton took from his girlfriend, the assistant prosecutor said. That victim was able to identify Benton in a photo array, she said.

Toms River police located the vehicle minutes later, but Benton drove onto the Garden State Parkway at speeds exceeding 115 mph, "weaving in and out of cars,'' Veni said. Police called off their chase of him "for the safety of other drivers,'' Veni said.

About 15 minutes after the car chase was terminated, Benton was captured on surveillance footage shoplifting a bottle of Hennessy cognac from a liquor store in Toms River, Veni said.

There were not further sightings of Benton until abut 12:30 a.m. the next day, when he started banging on the window of a woman's vehicle after she had just pulled into her driveway in Toms River, Veni said.

The woman slammed on her horn, prompting her husband to come outside, get in the car and chase Benton as he drove away, calling 911 in the process, the assistant prosecutor said. Police advised the man not to follow Benton, but officers shortly afterward found the defendant outside his vehicle on Whitesville Road, waving them on to him, Veni said.

Benton at that point got back in his vehicle and drove away at a speed of 100 mph in a 50 mph zone until he went through a red light and crashed into a pole, she said. He ran from the crash, but fell and was apprehended, she said.

In the vehicle, police found an empty bottle of Hennessy and a ripped, white tank top corresponding to the portion of ripped white tank top found at the scene of the attempted kidnapping in Lakewood, Veni said.

Because they smelled alcohol on Benton's breath, police got a court order to draw blood from him, she said.

"This all happened in a matter of a few hours,'' Ljungberg said. "Without admitting to anything, he (Benton) feels that this is completely out of character. He believes he was possibly drugged.''

The defense attorney said the extent of Benton's record is a disorderly persons conviction for prowling in 2014. Benton, a graduate of Brick Memorial High School, has an associate's degree and has been working as a cook for a healthcare facility for the past two years, Ljungberg said. He also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of being shot in Wilingboro about three years ago, Ljungberg said of his client.

"While the allegations here are certainly troubling, they are not characteristic of Mr. Benton whatsoever,'' Ljungberg said, reiterating his client's suspicion that he may have been drugged.

"Very luckily, we'll have that information because the state did get a blood draw from him, so we'll be able to tell that for sure,'' the defense attorney said.

Benton is being held in jail in Burlington County, where he is charged with the attempted murder of his girlfriend, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and five counts of child abuse and neglect related to each of his five children.

In Ocean County, he is charged with attempted kidnapping, luring, criminal sexual contact, endangering the welfare of a child, obstruction of justice, resisting arrest, shoplifting and two counts of eluding police.

He faces a court appearance May 16 on the Ocean County charges.

Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, court cases, legal issues and just about every major murder trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at khopkins@app.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Lakewood kidnap attempt suspect claims he was drugged for crime spree