By Adam Armour
Itawamba County Times
Mantachie police have arrested a man on suspicion of a Friday morning stabbing, although formal charges have yet to be lodged.
The alleged attack occurred around 10 a.m. at a home on Mount Pisgah Road in Mantachie.
According to Mantachie Police Chief Mark Roberts, the alleged victim called to report an ongoing robbery at her home. By the time police arrived, the suspect had fled. The homeowner appeared to have suffered multiple puncture wounds on her hands and face.
The victim claimed to have known her attacker, a male identified as an acquaintance of hers. She claimed he robbed her of what Roberts described as a “felony amount of cash,” or at least $500.
Deputies with the Itawamba County Sheriff’s Department, assisting with the case, arrested the suspect at his apartment on Tishtonee Drive around an hour later.
Roberts said police located a steak knife believed to have been used in the attack in a ditch opposite the victim’s home. He said one of the tires on the suspect’s vehicle had been slashed with the knife, which he believes the suspect and the victim scuffled over at some point. The victim allegedly wrested control of the weapon from the suspect and used it to slash the tire.
The suspect was uninjured, police said.
Although law enforcement officials initially believed the victim had been carried to the hospital for treatment of her injuries, which have been described as non-life-threatening, they later learned she had refused ambulance services.
According to Roberts, they also initially believed there was a home invasion, but they now suspect the alleged attacker was invited into the home.
Roberts said police are trying to sort out details of what happened before pressing formal charges.
“Right now, we’re trying to figure out everything that went on,” Roberts said. “We know the end result, but not how we got there.”
For the time being, the suspect will likely be charged with robbery, possibly later today. Additional charges may follow once police determine how the alleged victim sustained her injuries.
“Depending on the injuries, it might get stepped up,” Roberts said.
adam.armour@journalinc.com
Twitter: @adarmr