Hartford City man charged with rape, neglect

Douglas Walker, Muncie Star Press
·2 min read

HARTFORD CITY, Ind. — A Hartford City man has been charged with neglect of a dependent over conditions in his home.

However, given other allegations against 29-year-old Matthew A. Noble, that neglect count appears to be among the least of his concerns.

Noble was also charged in Blackford Circuit Court with rape, a Level 1 felony carrying up to 40 years in prison.

A female acquaintance said Noble used belts and extension cords to tie her to a bed, then sexually assaulted her. She also said the Hartford City man held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her.

In addition to the rape count, charges against Noble include criminal confinement, strangulation and intimidation. The confinement count is a Level 3 felony with a maximum 16-year sentence.

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The neglect-of-a-dependent count is a Level 6 felony carrying up to 30 months in prison.

A young child was among those living in the Hartford City man's house, and city police reported finding the home in "complete disarray."

"Filth, animal feces, dirty laundry, trash and various other debris littered the floor," an officer wrote. "The bathtub had approximately six inches of standing filthy water in it."

According to an affidavit, on Oct. 1, the day of the alleged sexual assault, Noble suffered a severe cut when he punched a mirror in his home. An officer at the scene applied a tourniquet to Noble's right arm, and the Hartford City man was eventually treated at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

Noble was being held without bond in the Blackford County jail.

In February, he was convicted of possession of meth in Blackford Superior Court. In July that conviction was reduced from felony to misdemeanor status.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Neglect charge might be the least of Hartford City man's worries