Toms River Police Officer Forfeits Job After Guilty Plea in Ex-Boyfriend Home Invasion

A former New Jersey police officer has been permanently barred from public employment in the state after pleading guilty to a violent home invasion at her ex-boyfriend’s residence.

Rebecca Sayegh, 32, of Toms River, entered a guilty plea on November 17 in Ocean County Superior Court to charges of burglary, criminal mischief, and simple assault. The case stems from an off-duty incident on April 25, when Sayegh allegedly broke into her ex-boyfriend’s Berkeley Township home and assaulted him and his new girlfriend.

Authorities say the confrontation escalated around 11:20 p.m. Sayegh, who had served nearly nine years with the Toms River Township Police Department, reportedly used her police baton to smash the front glass door, entered the home, and physically attacked both victims. She also caused about $2,000 in property damage inside the house and an additional $500 in damage to a victim’s vehicle.

The victims attempted to restrain Sayegh, but she broke free, continued her rampage, and reportedly threatened to burn down the house as police arrived. Responding officers had to subdue Sayegh, who resisted arrest. She was previously suspended without pay and released under New Jersey’s bail reform system before her guilty plea.

As part of her plea agreement, Sayegh formally forfeited her position with the Toms River Police Department and is barred from all future public employment in New Jersey. Prosecutors are seeking 180 days in Ocean County Jail as a condition of her probation, along with no contact with the victims and full restitution. Her sentencing is scheduled for January 26, 2026.

Sayegh’s legal troubles follow a lawsuit she filed last year against the department, alleging sexual harassment and gender discrimination by her superiors. That case was dismissed as untimely just weeks before the April incident.

Despite her misconduct, Sayegh had previously earned commendations during her career, including for rescuing a homeowner and pets from a house fire in 2021. Friends and colleagues have expressed shock over the violent nature of the April incident and the subsequent legal consequences.