Warren County man arrested for belt-whipping child

A 52-year-old Warren County man is facing an assault charge for striking a 12-year-old child with a leather belt.

Richard Dukes of Fort Ann is facing charges of assault and child endangerment for the incident yesterday.

According to the Warren County Sheriff's Office, the 12-year-old was riding his bicycle in the area of Baybrook Drive in the town of Queensbury with friends when Dukes engaged in a conversation with them.

Dukes removed his leather belt from his pants and struck the child across the back once. He missed on a second attempt, police said.

It wasn't clear how the interaction between Dukes and the child led to the assault, nor did police indicate if Dukes knew the child previously.

Dukes was arraigned today and released on bail.