ENOCHVILLE — The Rowan Sheriff’s Office says a 16-year-old juvenile on Saturday stabbed a 26-year-old man several times during an incident in southwestern part of the county.

The victim, James “Nate” Garney, was transported to Atrium Health Cabarrus after suffering a gash along the left side of his head, near the left ear, on the back of his neck and along the right side of his abdomen. When Rowan County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at the scene late Saturday night, they found Garney sitting on the porch of a house in the 8100 block of Freeze Road with a bloody towel pressed to his head, a news release said.

Garney was treated and released from the hospital.

The stabbing occurred because of an unspecified disagreement between Garney and the 16-year-old juvenile.

Sheriff’s deputies identified the juvenile and attempted to place the unnamed person into secure custody on charges, but the Department of Juvenile Justice denied the request, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Detectives planned to charge the juvenile with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.

Maj. John Sifford said detectives will meet with the Department of Juvenile Justice Wednesday to file a petition against the suspect.

While the initial effort could have placed the juvenile in a detention center, the latter only will start a court case.