Victim Stabbed After Confronting Man Who Was Checking Car Doors In Manassas: Police

MANASSAS, VA — A 52-year-old man was stabbed on Wednesday morning in Manassas, according to the Prince William County Police Department. Authorities believe that the man was stabbed when he confronted a suspect who was checking door handles in a parking lot.

The victim's injuries are not considered life-threatening police. The suspect is still at large.

Initially, officers responded to the Acadia Run apartment complex around 4 a.m. on Wednesday for a report of a vehicle theft in progress.

A caller told authorities that she was on her balcony when she saw an unknown man checking the door handles of vehicles in the parking lot. The caller told her husband, who was later identified as the victim, and their adult son about what she saw.

The two men went to the parking lot, where they saw the suspect open the door of a vehicle and get inside. The victim and the other man confronted the suspect and pulled him from the vehicle, according to the police report. A struggle ensued.

During the altercation, the victim felt a sharp pain in his back, police said. He fell to the ground as the suspect broke free and fled the area on foot. The caller's adult son chased the suspect to Sudley Manor Road, where he lost sight of him.

The son then returned to the initial scene, where he noticed the victim's injury. He provided first aid until officers arrived on the scene.

Earlier in the morning, another caller reported a suspicious person driving a green Toyota Camry in the same parking lot, according to the police report. The caller told police that the person was looking into vehicles with a flashlight. At that time, officers checked the area and did not find the person, their vehicle, or any indication of a crime, authorities said.

The suspect in the stabbing is described as a white man in his late 20s. He has a thin build, long blond hair, and a scraggly beard, police said.

At the time of the stabbing, he was wearing dark-colored clothing including a mask, pants, and a beanie. He was initially wearing a black North Face jacket that was removed during the incident. He was not wearing a shirt underneath it, authorities said.

Anyone with more information about the incident can contact the Prince William County Police Department's tipline at 703-792-7000. Tips can also be submitted online.