TV actress Hayden Panettiere's father arrested

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The father of 18-year-old actress Hayden Panettiere, who stars on the television drama "Heroes," was arrested early on Monday on suspicion of spousal abuse, police said.

Alan Panettiere, 49, was taken into custody at about 2:30 a.m. local time and was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail, a Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokesman said.

The spokesman released no further details, but the celebrity website TMZ.com reported that Panettiere was accused of punching his wife, Lesley, in the face.

Hayden Panettiere shot to fame playing the high school cheerleader with super powers, Claire Bennet, on NBC's serialized hit "Heroes," which debuted in 2006. She also appeared in the 2000 football drama "Remember the Titans," starring Denzel Washington.

Reuters/Nielsen