Cokeburg man arrested in child abuse case
State police arrested a Cokeburg man who was attempting to evade arrest on child abuse charges Saturday.
Troopers found Matthew Alexander Mance, 33, hiding in a closet, covered in boxes and clothes, at his home in the 100 block of Washington Street. Police said a trooper used a taser on Mance after he refused to leave the closet.
Days earlier, Mance had been charged with felonies of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children for the alleged physical abuse of a 4-year-old girl.
Shalee Rose Schnore, 26, lives with Mance and told police he was not home when they arrived to serve the arrest warrant. According to police, Schnore continued to deny Mance was home after troopers found his cellphone still in the house.
Schnore faces similar charges to Mance, and was released from jail last week after posting $35,000 bond. Schnore now faces an additional felony charge of hindering apprehension. District Judge Curtis Thompson sent her to the Washington County jail on $135,000 bond.
Mance was arraigned Saturday before District Judge Michael Manfredi, who set bond at $125,000.
The charges stem from an investigation that began last October. Police found that the child had bruising in multiple spots on her body, and a UPMC Children’s Hospital doctor determined the injuries were consistent with physical abuse, according to court records.
The child’s sister told investigators that she did not like to go to Mance’s and Schnore’s home because they would hit her sibling, according to the complaint.
Preliminary hearings are scheduled for 10:15 a.m. March 22.