BUCKHANNON – A French Creek man was arrested for allegedly hitting someone in the chest over the weekend.

John Squires, 29, was arrested for domestic battery, third offense, a felony, following an alleged physical altercation.

According to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office filed by investigating officer Deputy Cole Bender with the Upshur County Sheriff’s Department, on Sunday, Sept. 13, Bender responded to a call at a residence located on the French Reeder Road in French Creek for a possible domestic battery.

While traveling out to the residence, the E911 Upshur County Communication Center informed Bender that the female victim had left the residence and walked to another location along the Alexander Road. Bender arrived at the victim’s location and spoke to her.

According to the report, Bender reportedly saw red marks on the victim’s chest, and she claimed Squires allegedly hit her there, the complaint says. The victim also told Bender the two parties had been drinking alcohol prior to the incident. Bender went Squires’s residence, accompanied by West Virginia State Police units and arrested Squires at about 7:30 p.m. that evening.

The complaint says Squires has two prior convictions for domestic battery, the first being on Nov. 6, 2014 and the second being on Dec. 16, 2014.

Bail was set at $30,000.

The possible penalty for a conviction of third-offense domestic battery is confinement in a state prison for not less than one nor more than five years or a fine of not more than $2,500 or both.