by Caleb Groves

On Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, A Cobb County Magistrate Judge found probable cause for a Marietta man to be charged with assaulting his roommate with a knife.

To read the initial reporting on this incident in the Cobb County Courier, follow this link.

The man was charged with two felonies, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime and one misdemeanor, obstruction or hindering law enforcement.

According to testimony, the Marietta man got into an altercation with his roommate in room 410 of the Motel 6 on Delk Road while his roommate was eating, leading to the man stabbing his roommate in the stomach with a kitchen knife.

After the altercation, the Marietta man called 911, saying he was attacked. When police got to the motel 6 he was found in the lobby.

Marietta Police Department’s Samantha Luftwig Testimony

Once Officer Luftwig got to the scene of the alleged crime, she found food scattered across the room and a bloody kitchen knife blade 6-7 inches long lying on the air conditioning unit.

Prior to the alleged altercation, his roommate asked if the Marietta man would leave for a little bit because he knew that his probation officer would be visiting and he did not want the probation officer to think he was using drugs, the roommate told Luftwig.

This interaction sparked a verbal conflict, then the roommate got up to get his phone. As he stood up, he felt a pain in his stomach where the man allegedly stabbed him. Initially, he only thought it was a punch, but once he got to his room to call 91, he realized he was stabbed.

After the altercation, the roommate was loaded into an ambulance and rushed to the hospital, where he would later need surgery, Luftwig said.

The roommate said that after he was stabbed with the knife, the handle fell off of the blade.

The Marietta man also had previous charges in Paulding County.

Judge Michael McLaughlin’s Decision

Judge McLaughlin found there to be probable cause for the Marietta man. Bond was reserved and the man’s case will be sent to a grand jury.

Caleb Groves is a Journalism student at Kennesaw State University, where he is a junior.

Originally from Minnesota, Caleb moved to Georgia with his family, where he now lives in Woodstock with his Father, Stepmom and numerous pets.

When he is not in writing, in class or coaching rock climbing, he spends his time listening to music and rock climbing both indoors and out