On December 5, 2025, at about 3:09 p.m., Pennsylvania State Police were dispatched to Manchester Township for an active domestic incident. Trooper Wareham spoke with the victim, Caitlin Merrigan, who said she had been having issues with her boyfriend, Jason Van-Valkenburg, for several days and that he had been using methamphetamine since October, which had been creating severe paranoia. She stated that on December 5, Van-Valkenburg was driving her to work in Lake Como and that he did not allow her to take a cell phone with her. While driving, he told her, “I need to get the truth out of you.” She said he then turned the vehicle around and drove back to their residence at 2012 Great Bend Turnpike.

When they arrived, Merrigan said she attempted to exit the vehicle, but Van-Valkenburg pulled her back inside by her hair. Once outside the vehicle, she stated that he shoved snow into her mouth to the point where she could not breath. She reported that he then pulled part of her shirt off and put it in her mouth, telling her to keep it there until they went inside. While gripping her shirt, she said he punched her on the right side of her face, and Trooper Wareham noted swelling to her cheekbones consistent with her account.

She stated that Van-Valkenburg made her go into the basement, where he told her to take off all of her clothes. According to the affidavit, he then retrieved a shovel and struck her on her right hand while continuing to apply pressure. Trooper Wareham documented recent bruising and swelling to her right hand. Merrigan said Van-Valkenburg took a staple gun from the garage and pressed it against her chest, attempting to staple her multiple times while asking, “You gonna tell me the truth yet?” One staple entered the left side of her chest, which she said she removed herself. Trooper Wareham observed two puncture marks on the left side of her chest. She also reported severe pain in her lower back and hips from being pushed down multiple times, and Trooper Wareham observed recent bruising over her left hip. Merrigan further stated that Van-Valkenburg threatened to hang her in the basement.

According to the affidavit, Merrigan said that after retrieving her belongings, which Van-Valkenburg had placed in garbage bags outside, she was thrown out of the residence at approximately 2:30 p.m. She then flagged down a passerby for help. Trooper Wareham later spoke with a homeowner who said she and her husband saw a woman flagging them down on the roadway at 2012 Great Bend Turnpike. The homeowner reported that the woman was very distraught and described what her boyfriend had done, consistent with Merrigan’s account.