Vicksburg police were looking for an injured man who attempted to steal a vehicle in the 1200 block of National Street Saturday evening but was stabbed by the owner, said Lt. Bobby Stewart.

A neighbor who was familiar with the vehicle and the residence saw the 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe being backed out of a driveway by a man he knew not to be the owner.

He “went across the street to see what was going on,” Stewart said. “He saw that the automobile was occupied by a black male” who was not the owner.

The owner, who was by then outside, questioned the driver, described as being between 5-foot-8 and 6 feet and 170 to 200 pounds, who jumped out of the vehicle. The owner approached the man and tried to call the police, but the suspect began hitting him, Stewart said.

“The suspect got the upper hand and started assaulting him,” he said.

The owner of the vehicle took out a pocket knife and stabbed the “would-be car thief” in the left side of the leg, the side and in the chest just before the suspect ran north on Drummond Street. When police arrived, they recovered some clothing that the man left behind.

“We are looking for any information on the wounded (suspect),” Stewart said. “We don’t know how badly he’s wounded.”