Oktibbeha County deputies are searching for two Starkville men who allegedly assaulted and robbed two victims in the Sunset subdivision.
Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Brett Watson said warrants were issued for Deangelo Manning, 20, and Steven Thomas, 22, after deputies responded to a July 1 armed robbery and aggravated assault on Arnold Drive.
At least one victim was injured and required medical treatment, but Watson said he was unsure of the extent of those injuries or the medical care provided. A tip sent to The Dispatch stated the victims were struck with a gun several times, and one victim required surgery.
The Dispatch was unable to corroborate those claims.
Both suspects have already had a string of run-ins with area law enforcement for violent offenses.
In 2013, an arrest warrant was issued for Manning after a drive-by shooting occurred in the Henderson Hill area. Numerous shots were fired during the incident, but no injuries were reported.
Starkville Police Chief Frank Nichols previously said Manning gave a statement to officers that implicated others, and no charges were filed against him.
SPD officers arrested Manning in 2014 after police said he allegedly broke into a Catherine Street home and attacked its residents with a knife.
An Oktibbeha County grand jury failed to indict Manning on the charge.
He was then indicted in 2015 on a felony cocaine possession charge. The case was continued this April since Manning faces another possible schedule II drug possession indictment this month.
Court records show Thomas was indicted on one count of felony fleeing in 2013. He pleaded guilty to the charge in 2014 and was given a suspended sentence of five years in jail, five years on probation and a $250 fine.
That sentence was revoked in 2014 after he was arrested on two counts of aggravated assault.
Thomas turned himself in to Starkville police officers after he was accused of shooting at two people near Armstrong Middle School.
Court records show the district attorney’s office dropped the charges this April after prosecutors were unable to locate the victims for months and receive impact statements.
He was released from Mississippi Department of Corrections custody in August 2015.
Anyone with information on this or other incidents should call the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department at 662-323-2421, Starkville Police Department at 662-323-4131 or Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 800-530-7151.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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