Faced with assault accusations, state Rep. Brian Ellis, R-11th, vanished.

Since a Jan. 24 Philadelphia Inquirer article reported that the Dauphin County District Attorney's Office is investigating Ellis for an alleged assault in Harrisburg in 2015, all of the Butler County native's regular communication channels have gone quiet.

He is on leave from his duties as a representative, and state leaders say they're simply waiting for him to resign.

A cell phone belonging to Ellis is turned off, and the associated voice mail is not set up.

The last time Ellis cast a vote in Harrisburg was Jan. 1 — the day he was sworn in for his eighth term.

This is an excerpt — pick up Sunday's Butler Eagle or subscribe to butlereagle.com to find out more.