UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Deputies are searching for the suspect accused of stabbing a teen on a walking trail in Union County Thursday evening, the sheriff's office confirmed.
According to deputies, the teen was stabbed on the walking trail in the Weddington Chase subdivision around 7:15 p.m. Thursday.
The victim told deputies he was jogging along the trail when an unknown man approached him from behind and stabbed him in the upper back area.
"Unprovoked and for no apparent reason. This person came up behind and stabbed somewhere under the armpit area and then fled the scene," said Tony Underwood with the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
NBC Charlotte talked to the neighbor who called 911 when the victim showed up at her house. Sheri Ruis said she saw it was the teen at the door after the doorbell rang.
"He was holding up his arm and there was a lot of blood," Ruis said. "He was in shock for sure. He was scared; he needed medical attention right away."
Ruis said she called 911 as a group of people came over to help the teen on her front steps.
"Try to keep him talking, he was close to maybe passing out," Ruis said.
"Despite the shape he was in, he was still able to describe it (the suspect’s description)," Ruis added.
The suspect was described as a blonde-haired white male about 18-years-old who was wearing a white t-shirt, shorts, running shoes, and no socks.
A neighbor shared video surveillance with NBC Charlotte, which investigators said showed someone who was possibly the suspect running by a home.
"The quicker we can get this person off the street, the better off and safer we all are," Underwood said.
Deputies said the victim was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition.
Investigators have not identified any witnesses to the assault, but K9s were assisting in the search as deputies continue to pursue leads.
"Somebody knows something, somebody’s kid didn’t come home last night, somebody knows this person, and we need to get him caught," said Ruis.
Investigators said the victim is on his school’s cross country team, and practice was canceled on Thursday because of the heat. That's why he went jogging on a nearby trail.
Deputies said they’re waiting for the victim’s condition to improve before they talk to him further about the incident.
Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to call 911 immediately.