More child abuse charges added against mom after police say she burned, beat 3 children

Warning: this story contains graphic descriptions of child abuse.

A Cumberland County mother already accused of abusing children in her house in a variety of ways had additional charges filed against her on Wednesday.

Shelley Noreika, 47, of Newville, had more than a dozen new charges added against her for the physical abuse of three children in the home.

According to online court dockets, the charges include aggravated assault, strangulation, child endangerment and simple assault.

Noreika is accused of abusing at least three children, ages 6, 7 and 9, according to a statement from police. All three children discussed the use of a wooden paddle or wooden backscratcher on the bottom of their feet, hands, or bare bottom, police said.

The 7-year-old girl talked about being hit on the head with a “pump pole” and being placed on a wood burner stove, which would burn her bottom, police said. She also said Noreika stepped on her belly.

The girl also said Noreika instructed her on how to “do a seizure,” which she then would tell her to do on command, police said. She also instructed the girl to walk with her feet pointed inward, making her appear handicapped.

The 9-year-old boy had also experienced being placed on the wood-burning stove, he told police. He said Noreika would pick him up by the throat and slam him into the ground, saying it was hard for him to breathe and he would pass out, police said.

The pain caused by these episodes would hurt so bad that he said he couldn’t swallow the meat they were supposed to have for dinner, police said.

The 6-year-old boy said Noreika told him to pull down his pants before she placed him on the woodstove, according to police. When describing the pain this caused him, he told investigators “it felt like she killed him,” police said.

Similar to his siblings, he had also had his belly stepped on and had been picked up by the throat until he “fell asleep,” he told police.

All three said Noreika bit their fingers, which hurt them, police said.

Noreika was taken into custody on Wednesday and placed in Cumberland County Prison on $25,000 secured bail after an arraignment hearing.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 15.

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