BLANCHESTER — A man was arrested after police and citizens say he forced his wife into a car and later assaulted her in their yard, according to Blanchester police.

At around dusk on Friday, police were called to the area of East Baldwin Street near Putman Elementary School “after receiving several reports of an abduction”, according to a news release from Blanchester Police Chief Scott Reinbolt.

“The callers stated a man had forced a woman into a car there,” said Reinbolt. “The car then left the area. Callers described the woman as being between 14 and 22 years of age.

An officer responded to the area, where he was flagged down by a passing motorist who stated he had just witnessed a man assaulting his wife in the yard of the 500 block of East John Street, Reinbolt stated.

The officer responded to that address and observed a car in the driveway matching the description of the car seen earlier on East Baldwin Street. Additional Blanchester police officers responded.

Officers spoke with Dustin Wolf, 28, who resides at the John Street address.

“He initially refused to answer officers’ question,” Reinbolt said. Officers then spoke to his wife, age 19, “who had obviously been recently assaulted,” said Reinbolt. “She was interviewed and reluctantly stated that Wolf had assaulted her in the yard.

“Further investigation revealed that the two were in an argument, and the wife left the home walking on Baldwin Street, Wolf picked her up on Baldwin Street, took her home and assaulted her in the front yard.”

Wolf was arrested and charged with domestic violence, Reinbolt said. Wolf will answer the charge Monday in Clinton County Municipal Court.