October 25, 2017- Commonwealth v. Rhonda Shoffner : Rhonda Shoffner, 41, of Middletown, pleaded guilty Wednesday to aggravated assault, strangulation, endangering the welfare of a child and terroristic threats. She was sentenced to two and a half years to five years in state prison. She was also sentenced to a consecutive five years of probation.

The charges relate to an incident in Middletown on March 14, 2017, where Shoffner violently assaulted a 13 year-old. The assault started when Shoffner demanded the 13 year-old victim to recite Biblical verses, and upon the child’s failure to properly cite the verses she slammed the child’s head into the bathroom wall. She also bit the child during the assault. At one point during the incident she held the victim down on the floor and strangled the victim briefly cutting off her airway. While the assaulting the child she told her, “I’m going to kill you.”

Chief Deputy District Attorney Seán M. McCormack commented, “This was an extremely scary situation for this young victim to have to endure. Fortunately she is doing well now and is in a safe place.”

The police investigation into the assault on the minor revealed that Shoffner was intoxicated during the incident. As part of her sentence, Shoffner was ordered by Dauphin County Judge John F. Cherry to undergo alcohol and drug counseling and to remain drug and alcohol free. Upon her release from prison, she will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing.

Shoffner also pleaded guilty to a simple assault charge related to a second assault incident that occurred in January 2017. In that incident, Shoffner assault an adult victim during an argument in a car. She hit the woman and bit her during that assault.

This case was investigated by Officer Rebecca Hulstine of the Middletown Police Department.