A Hatfield Township man is in custody at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility after he allegedly kidnapped a woman on her way home from work and repeatedly assaulted her.
Anthony Manero, 19, has been charged with felony counts of kidnapping, aggravated assault, and strangulation, along with misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats, simple assault, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, and possessing an instrument of crime, in connection with the investigation by the Telford Borough Police Department.
Manero is currently being held on $150,000 cash bail. The victim was known to Manero, however this news organization is withholding the extent of their relationship and any details that could be used to establish her identity.
Investigators first met with the victim on July 21 at Grand View Hospital, where she was receiving treatment for injuries that Manero had allegedly inflicted. The victim told police that Manero had offered to pick her up from work a few days prior, but when she ran late, they began to argue via text message, and she instead decided to walk home.
As the victim walked home, Manero pulled up along side her in his truck, grabbed the victim by her hair, pushed her inside of the truck and began punching her repeatedly, according to charging documents. He then allegedly took out a knife and threatened to kill the victim, before resuming the assault and smashing the victim’s head into the dashboard multiple times.
The victim told police she stayed in the fetal position in the vehicle drove away from Telford Borough.
Police allege that Manero drove the victim to his apartment at Hatfield Village, where he forced her inside and continued the assault. The victim told police she repeatedly screamed for help, but that only caused Manero to hit her harder, the report states.
The victim said she eventually passed out on Manero’s couch, and upon waking the next morning, Manero dropped her off at work, where she immediately reported the assault, according to the complaint.
She was then taken to Grand View Hospital for treatment. Police said photos of the victim’s injuries are consistent with her account of the assault.
Investigators said they spoke with Manero on July 22 at his place of employment, at which time Manero confirmed he knew the victim, but declined to answer multiple questions about having been in contact with her as well as his whereabouts on the day of the incident. Police seized Manero’s phone pending a search warrant, and when asked if the phone had been in Telford on the day of the alleged assault, Manero responded “it may have been,” according to the complaint.
After executing the search warrant, police said they recovered a text message from Manero to another person that indicated he had committed a crime and he was intending to flee. According to the criminal complaint, the text reads, verbatim:
“Be safe ******. Imma be going away. Good luck. Some nasty s**t popped off. Can’t explain the situation…multiple felonies, attempted homicide, etc. I f----d up. 10+ years if they catch me.”
A full download of Manero’s phone is pending, police said.
Charges were officially filed on July 29, and Manero was arraigned the following day by District Judge Maureen Coggins, who set bail at $150,000 cash. The amount of bail was left unchanged following a bail review by the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.
Manero’s next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on Aug. 29 at 10:30 a.m. in front of District Judge Albert Augustine.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
See also:
Lansdale Man Accused of Assaulting Staff at Jefferson Lansdale Hospital
Woman Accused of Stealing $5,443 from Macy's at Montgomery Mall
Suspect Stole More Than $10,000 in Merch Via 14 Trips to Hilltown Walmart in One Month, Police Say
Man Accused of Raping 7-Year-Old Girl in Hatfield
Florida Man Accused of Soliciting Nude Photos from Juvenile Female in Bucks County
