Inset: Thomas Vance (Erie County Jail). Background: The area near where Vance was arrested on domestic violence charges in Sandusky, Ohio (Google Maps).
An unsettling incident unfolded in Ohio, where a man has been apprehended on charges of domestic violence, strangulation, and making threats, with law enforcement officials in the state confirming the arrest. The situation also involved harm to a young child, further complicating the case.
The individual in question, Thomas Vance, aged 44, faces multiple charges, including two counts each of assault and domestic violence, alongside charges of strangulation and child endangerment, as detailed by the Sandusky Police Department.
The case came to the attention of authorities on July 18, 2025, when a woman entered a police station in Sandusky, a city located approximately 60 miles west of Cleveland. Initially, she sought advice on resources for dealing with a domestic issue, according to a police report accessed by the Sandusky Register.
As she spoke with officers, the woman revealed more alarming details, including a threat allegedly made by Vance. She reported that he had warned her he intended to “make her life hard and make her feel the pain he is feeling,” highlighting the gravity of the situation.
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.
