OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) — An Oil City man is facing charges for allegedly shooting a BB gun at his neighbor’s house. 

Court documents indicate that the Oil City Police Department filed criminal charges against 59-year-old William E. Hughes III on Monday, August 1, in Magisterial District Judge Andrew F. Fish’s office.

According to a criminal complaint, police were dispatched around 4:25 p.m. on Thursday, July 21, to the 300 block of State Street in Oil City, Venango County, for a dispute between neighbors.

Upon arrival, officers spoke with a known female victim, who stated that her neighbor, William Hughes, had been shooting a BB gun at squirrels and caused damage to her house. The victim provided police with BBs that she had found in her side yard near the damage to the siding of her house, the complaint states.

Police observed multiple holes in the house’s siding, a light with glass broken, and a broken window. All damage to the residence was on the side facing Hughes’ house, the complaint indicates.

Police then spoke with Hughes who stated that he shot his BB gun at squirrels because they were damaging his residence and getting into the attic. Hughes also stated that he was shooting from the other side of his house, the complaint notes.

Hughes further told police that earlier in the year, he used to shoot the squirrels as they ran along the top of the fence that split the properties.

When Hughes was asked for his BB gun, he gave it to the officer, and the BBs in the gun matched the ones that had been found in the victim’s yard, the complaint states.

Hughes faces the following charges:

– Criminal Mischief — Damage Property, Misdemeanor 3
– Disorderly Conduct Hazardous/Physi Off, Misdemeanor 3

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, August 31, at 1:30 p.m. in Venango County Central Court with Judge Fish presiding.