Prosecutor: Area Woman Pleads Guilty to 2024 Attempted Murder of Boyfriend

An area woman has pleaded guilty to the 2024 attempted murder of her then-boyfriend by driving over him with her vehicle, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Monday.

During a hearing held before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Jill G. O’Malley on Wednesday Jan. 28, Yvette C. Barnes, 42, of Keansburg, pleaded guilty to a single charge of first-degree attempted murder stemming from the incident.

The guilty plea follows a collaborative investigation between of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ocean Township Police detectives in the summer of 2024 that produced evidence.

The case background …

The evidence from the investigation revealed that at roughly 11:05 p.m. on July 10, 2024, Ocean Township police responded to the parking lot of a strip mall at 2301 Route 66 after multiple reports from witnesses of a female driving erratically and of a vehicular assault upon a pedestrian.

Upon arrival, officers discovered the victim motionless and prone in the parking lot suffering from multiple traumatic injuries to his head, neck, and body. Investigators found blood and human hair littered throughout the lot. Police later determined that after being run down, the victim was dragged through the parking lot while trapped under Barnes’ vehicle.

The male victim, the then-boyfriend, was transported to a local hospital for treatment. He has since remained hospitalized as a quadriplegic and has undergone multiple surgeries and skin grafts for treatment of his injuries.

Sentencing in this case is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, March 11, at which time the state intends to seek a term of 15 years state prison with 85 percent of the sentence to be served before the possibility of parole under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act (NERA).

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office