Ex-Gilrfriend Charged with Trespassng

It was anything but a quiet Groundhog Day dinner for a townhouse resident and his female guest who lives nearby.

The man’s ex-girlfriend, Martha Manna, 33, who has been charged in the case, was relentlessly pounding and kicking on his door the night of Feb. 2. At some point, Manna slipped a handwritten note under the guest’s townhouse door that read, “Can’t get ur (cq) own man bitch,” according to court records.

While police spoke to the man inside a patrol car, Manna slipped into the townhouse and went looking for the guest, who was hiding in a second-floor bathroom.

Police talked to all three people – getting different versions from Manna and the man about how she got blood on her face and swelling on her head. But police left without making any arrests.

The next day, Feb. 3, police were back, called by the guest who had found long scratches to the entire left side of her black 2011 Volkswagen Jetta. The same type of scratches were on the hood and right rear fender.

Almost three weeks later, police issued an arrest warrant for Manna – signed Thursday by of Palmer Township. Manna, of 43 Freedom Terrace in Palmer, was taken into custody around 4pm Thursday and arraigned later that night. She is free on unsecured bail.

The arrest warrant, filed by Jonathan Hagenbuch, contains the following highlights:

– When police arrived at the man’s townhouse at 1400 Bushkill Drive around 9:10pm, they first encountered Manna, who had blood on her face and swelling on her head. She said she wanted to retrieve some of her things from the townhouse, but her ex-boyfriend wouldn’t let her in “because of a woman inside.” The man eventually ran outside and grabbed the keys from her car and she followed him, she said.

– She said the man punched her in the face and pushed her out the door, causing her to fall to the ground and strike her face on an iron railing.

– Manna entered the townhouse while police spoke to the man inside a patrol car. The guest by this time was hiding in a second-floor bathroom. Police ordered Manna out of the house.

– After talking to the guest, police accompanied her to her nearby townhouse, where they found the handwritten note. Police also recovered another note on the floor of the man’s townhouse with the same color ink and penmanship (court records do not list what it said).

– The man told police he removed the keys from Manna’s car while it was running and told her he would give them back when police arrive. He said Manna “forced herself” inside and fell on the floor. He said he pushed her when she entered and was able to force her out by her jacket. He said he never hit or punched Manna.

– After coming back the next day to see the scratches on the guest’s car, Hagenbuch was told by another officer who was with him the night before that he had seen the scratches but did not realize the car belonged to the guest.

Manna has been charged with criminal trespass, criminal mischief and two counts of harassment. She was arraigned by on-duty District Judge Diane Marakovits of Northampton and released on $10,000 unsecured bail.

The following information was supplied by District Judge Jackie Taschner's office. Where arrests or charges are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.