Man arrested after allegedly stabbing the 'wrong guy' in Indiana

GREENTOWN, Ind. (TCD) -- A 20-year-old Tennessee man was arrested this week after he allegedly got into an altercation with a man in an alley and stabbed him even though the victim was the "wrong guy."

According to the Howard County Sheriff's Office, on Tuesday, July 18, at 9:34 p.m., the local 911 dispatch center received a call about a victim with a stab wound to the neck in the alley near the 200 block of South Hunt Street. Greentown Police Department officers, Howard County Sheriff's Office deputies, and Howard Regional Health medics responded to the scene and found 48-year-old Ryan Cummins with a laceration to his neck.

The caller reportedly told the dispatchers that the suspect was a male wearing a red and black hoodie, so officials started searching for the man. Cummins told a Howard County deputy he was on his bicycle in the alley when the suspect approached him and "pepper sprayed him in the face."

The two men subsequently got into a physical altercation. Cummins said he believes he hit the suspect "at least once in self-defense." Then, during the fight, the suspect stabbed Cummins in the neck and "stated he was going to kill him."

Cummins fell to the ground, and while down, the suspect asked him his name. When Cummins informed him, the suspect reportedly said, "Wrong guy" before fleeing.

The Howard County Sheriff's Office said Cummins and the suspect never met before. Law enforcement sent out the suspect's description to hospitals in the area.

About an hour later, a police officer working at the Community Howard Regional Health Center called to report a man matching the description showed up in the emergency room. Greentown Police and Howard County officials went to the hospital and found the suspect, Justin Crow, who is originally from Jonesboro, Tennessee. Witnesses reportedly positively identified Crow even though he changed clothes.

Officers executed a search warrant at a home where Crow was reportedly staying and found a "collection of evidence relating to the crime."

Crow's report of the incident allegedly "changed multiple times." According to the statement, Crow said Cummins "called him a name and that it 'triggered him.'"

He then admitted to stabbing Cummins with a box knife and threatened to kill him because he was "just done with people."

Crow was arrested and booked into the Howard County Jail on a charge of attempted murder. He's being held without bond.

MORE:

• Attempted Murder - Howard County Sheriff's Office