A Peachtree City man has

been arrested for attacking a 6-year-old girl at the

LaPetite Academy child care center on Thursday, May 25,

police said.

John D. Childress, 32, was

arrested for one count of simple battery, according to

records from the Peachtree City Police Department. Maj.

Mike DuPree said Childress grabbed the victim by the

neck, which left marks observed by officers who responded

to the scene.

Childress told police he

was trying to break up a fight between the victim and his

child, DuPree said.

Other witnesses, however,

told police that Childress grabbed the girl by the neck

to force her to apologize to his daughter, DuPree added.

Childress was not arrested

at the scene, only after the victim's parents sought an

arrest warrant on him, DuPree said.