An Athens man faces charges of menacing and assault after holding two people at gunpoint and pistol-whipping one of them, an official said.

Deputy Stephen Young, public information officer with the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office, said 29-year-old Corey Burnside was arrested Tuesday morning on warrants stemming from the Sept. 19 altercation in the 28000 block of Jennings Chapel Road.

Burnside is accused of holding the two hostage after seeing text messages they had exchanged. Young said the female victim was identified as Burnside’s girlfriend, and she told investigators Burnside got angry after reading the messages.

“She said he came into the bedroom where she was with their two children, retrieved a handgun and held her at gunpoint, telling her to stay there and lock the door and that he would be back to deal with her,” Young said.

Instead, the woman locked the children in a separate room and snuck out through a window so she could run to a neighbor’s house and call 911.

“The victim told investigators that when she left the house, she noticed that Corey had the male victim in the garage and a gun pointed at his head,” Young said. “She stated that she observed (him) strike the victim in the head with the gun.”

Burnside is charged with third-degree domestic violence (reckless endangerment), third-degree domestic violence (menacing), second-degree assault and menacing. He was released Tuesday from the Limestone County Jail on $27,500 bond.

The investigation remains open, and additional charges are possible.