Inset: Thomas Vance (Erie County Jail). Background: The area near where Vance was arrested on domestic violence charges in Sandusky, Ohio (Google Maps).
An Ohio man was recently arrested for strangling a woman, hurting her 2-year-old child, and issuing an ominous threat, according to law enforcement in the Buckeye State.
Thomas Vance, 44, stands accused of two counts each of assault and domestic violence, as well as one count each of strangulation and endangering children, according to the Sandusky Police Department.
The investigation in the case began on July 18, 2025, when the alleged victim walked into a police station in Sandusky – a small city located some 60 miles due west of Cleveland.
The woman first asked to speak with an officer about resources for a domestic dispute, according to a police report obtained by the Sandusky Register.
As the conversation went on, however, more details came to light and the woman relayed a threat the defendant allegedly made.
The woman said Vance told her that he was "going to make her life hard and make her feel the pain he is feeling," according to the report.
The woman also relayed details of the alleged violence.
On July 17, 2025, the defendant allegedly got upset and started to hit and strangle her, she told law enforcement. During the alleged attack, Vance also began hitting the woman's toddler, police said.
At some point, the woman attempted to intervene by kicking the assailant and biting his leg, the police report goes on.
After the incident, the woman told police she went to a nearby emergency room to seek treatment for abnormal bleeding, a swollen throat, and bruises – but ultimately left without receiving medical attention because she would have to wait for over an hour to see a doctor.
The intake officer took note of the bruises in question and asked the woman if they could take pictures of the evidence. At this request, however, the woman is alleged to have refused and added that she did not want Vance to go to jail that weekend, according to police.
As the investigation proceeded, the officer tried to make contact with Vance but failed. Eventually, charges were filed due to the severity of the injuries suffered by the mother and child, according to the report.
Law enforcement also learned Vance was previously convicted in a domestic violence-related case in Tiffin Municipal Court in March 2005, according to the report. In that instance, a domestic violence charge was upgraded to a felony in the fourth degree.
A warrant was subsequently issued for the defendant's arrest and he was taken into custody on Dec. 29, 2025.
Vance is no longer detained as of this writing. He was slated to appear in court on Friday, according to the Register.
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