A Brookhaven man is in the Lincoln County Jail on aggravatedassault charges after allegedly cutting an acquaintance and leavinghim for dead in the West Lincoln community, authorities said.

Lincoln County Sheriff Steve Rushing said Desmond D.Weatherspoon, 32, was arrested after the victim, who was bleedingprofusely and disoriented from the cold and blood loss, flaggeddown a motorist on Auburn Drive around 1 p.m. He told deputies andfirst responders that his assailant had cut him multiple times,taken his car and left him in the woods.

“From the information we have at this point, it looks like thisstarted with an argument that ended as a fight where the victim wascut and put out of the car,” said Rushing, who did not identify theparticular type of weapon used. “Then the suspect left in thevictim’s car.”

Authorities have not yet released the name of the victim, who isa Brandon resident. Rushing said officials would be interviewinghim today.

“We’ll have a chance to really talk to the victim today,” hesaid. “This is still very much under investigation, and furthercharges could potentially arise.”

Rushing said after the victim was found, his department put outa bulletin to surrounding counties, expecting the attacker to run.He said Brookhaven Police Department and Mississippi Highway Patroltroopers were alerted locally as well.

Post One Constable Kelly Porter was on his way to King’sDaughters Medical Center just before 3 p.m. after searching theroads in the western part of the county when he saw a car matchingthe description of the maroon Mustang convertible at the gas pumpat the Exxon on Highway 51.

“I turned in to investigate and found that the tag numbermatched the vehicle we were searching for,” Porter said. “When Ipulled up they were getting out of the vehicle, so I held themthere until the other officers arrived.”

Weatherspoon had allegedly stopped to pick up two other friendsand they were joyriding in the car, Rushing said.

One of those, Crandon Coleman, 23, of Cloverdale Apartments inBrookhaven, had outstanding warrants and was also taken intocustody by the Brookhaven Police Department. The other passengerwas allowed to leave.

Officials said the two passengers in the vehicle were supposedlyunaware of how Weatherspoon had obtained the car. Weatherspoon isnot being charged with stealing the car, since the victim hadallowed him to drive it throughout the day Thursday.

Rushing said the victim was transported from KDMC to theUniversity of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, where he wastreated and released Thursday.