TOMS RIVER – A former Toms River police officer who pleaded guilty to breaking into a home and assaulting a woman during a domestic violence incident will not serve additional jail time.
Instead, Rebecca Sayegh, 32, was sentenced to probation after Ocean County Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan concluded that incarceration was not appropriate under New Jersey sentencing law for a first-time offender convicted of third-degree crimes.
The sentencing hearing was held January 16 before Ryan, who repeatedly reminded those in the courtroom that he was bound to sentence Sayegh only for the offenses to which she pleaded guilty, not for more serious charges initially filed.
“I’m constrained to abide by the principle that I have to sentence her for what she has been convicted of,” Ryan said. “In this case, by a guilty plea.”
Sayegh previously admitted guilt to third-degree burglary, third-degree criminal mischief, and simple assault stemming from an April 25, 2025 incident in Berkeley Township. She was off duty at the time. According to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Sayegh smashed the glass of a front door, entered the residence, damaged a vehicle in the driveway, and resisted arrest when officers arrived.
The victims were present in court but declined to deliver impact statements, the prosecution said. They left the courtroom before sentencing concluded. Sayegh also chose not to speak on her own behalf.
Ryan referred to the matter as a domestic violence case throughout the hearing, identifying the victims only by their initials. Their names have already appeared in a related civil lawsuit.
“There’s no such thing as a domestic violence incident that is not serious,” Ryan said. He described the late-night entry into the home as “no doubt alarming and distressing,” noting that the victims were inside when the door was broken.
Prosecutors had urged the court to impose a 180-day county jail term as a condition of probation, arguing that Sayegh’s conduct was a fundamental betrayal of the trust placed in law enforcement officers. Chief Assistant Prosecutor Michael Abatemarco said her actions that night were “the complete antithesis of what a law enforcement officer should do.”
Defense counsel Kelly Toner, a Toms River attorney, emphasized Sayegh’s prior service record, compliance with treatment, and lack of any criminal history. Ryan credited some of those arguments, while making clear they did not excuse what occurred.
“Part of the obligation of being a police officer is having the same level of values in your personal life as you do in your professional life,” the judge said.
Ryan found aggravating factors related to the risk of reoffending and the need for deterrence, citing unresolved behavioral health concerns discussed in the presentence report. At the same time, he found several mitigating factors, including Sayegh’s previously law-abiding life and her efforts to engage in treatment following the incident.
After weighing those factors, Ryan said the balance narrowly tipped against incarceration.
“I asked myself, what would I do if this was any other defendant with no criminal record,” he said. “Would I give that person 180 days? And the answer is, no, I wouldn’t.”
Sayegh was sentenced to three years of probation on the burglary and criminal mischief counts, concurrent with probation on the simple assault charge. She received credit for five days already served in the Ocean County Jail.
As conditions of probation, Ryan ordered that Sayegh obtain and maintain employment, continue mental health treatment, comply with domestic violence counseling requirements, and have no contact with the victims. A final restraining order remains in effect.
The judge also addressed restitution at length, noting that New Jersey law requires courts to consider a defendant’s ability to pay. Sayegh was ordered to pay $816 for damage to a vehicle and $4,000 toward the cost of replacing the damaged front door.
While acknowledging that the actual cost of the door may be higher, Ryan said the reduced amount reflected Sayegh’s financial circumstances, including unemployment, debt, and limited assets.
As part of her plea, Sayegh permanently forfeited her position with the Toms River Police Department and is barred from any future public employment in New Jersey, paid or volunteer.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said the sentence followed consultation with the victims and praised Abatemarco for handling the case on behalf of the state, as well as the Berkeley Township and Toms River police departments for their investigative work.
