Deputies with the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported stabbing near Murrells Inlet on New Year’s Eve.
The Sheriff’s Office says the incident happened near 4430 Ocean Highway Monday night, in the area of the Woodside Village shopping center.
Deputies say a homeless man had injuries, but was not being cooperative. Deputies were unable to determine what led to his injuries.
He was transported to an area hospital. The incident is under investigation.
Jason Lesley with the Sheriff’s Office tells News13 the man’s injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
According to an incident report from the GCSO, deputies responded to 4400 Hwy 17 Bypass in Murrells Inlet around 7:41 p.m. on Monday in reference to a possible armed robbery where the victim was stabbed. Upon arriving on scene, deputies found a 41-year-old man sitting on a bench in front of Vienna’s Restaurant. When they approached, the deputies reportedly observed the man holding his left leg and that there appeared to be blood coming from an unknown area on his leg.
Deputies identified the man and confirmed he had been stabbed “with an unknown instrument causing injury to his left leg and back of the head,” says the report. As deputies were speaking with the man, he reportedly stated that he was asleep when the incident happened and didn’t see the person responsible.
The victim was taken by ambulance to Waccamaw Hospital, the report also says. Officers were able to speak with the man and he reportedly stated on multiple occasions that we was asleep and woke to being stabbed by an unknown person. The man also reportedly confirmed that nothing was stolen from him, so he didn’t believe the suspect was trying to rob him.
EMS personnel stated the injury to the man’s leg appeared to be a puncture wound with a size similar to that of a small knife, according to the report. The injury to the man’s head appeared to be a laceration caused by an unknown instrument.
The man’s girlfriend reported to investigators that she was walking back to the area near the old grocery store when she saw the man sitting on a bench near the doors and noticed he appeared to be bleeding, the report also says. The woman reportedly stated she tried to tend to the man’s injuries and then they walked to the bench in front of Vienna’s restaurant. She then said she walked toward the Highway 55 restaurant, where she saw an ambulance parked and two EMS personnel inside. She stated she went inside to tell them her boyfriend had been stabbed and needed help.
According to the report, while law enforcement was speaking with the woman, she reportedly changed her account of the story multiple times.
Count on News13 for updates as they become available.
