An inmate arrested on Monday apparently attempted to take his life at the Picayune Criminal Justice Center Tuesday night.

A corrections officer at the jail called for assistance after finding the inmate covered in blood.

Patrol officers came to help and entered the cell of George McCollum, 31, “to find him sitting on the toilet covered with blood,” said Jeremy Magri, assistant to the chief of police. “There appeared to be ligature marks around his neck.”

The corrections officer on duty reported that while he was working in the jail area, he saw McCollum attempting to hang himself, said Magri.

“At which time, he (the officer) entered the cell and observed that McCollum had also cut himself several times with what was later determined to be a piece of razor blade that was found underneath his bunk,” Magri said.

The officer “ripped the material from McCollum’s neck that he used attempting to hang himself,” he said. The material has been determined as being stripped from a blanket McCollum had in his cell, said Magri.

“An ambulance was dispatched to the station to check on his injuries,” he said. “They (mobile medics) advised that he needed to be transported to the hospital for his cuts.”

McCollum was evaluated at Highland Community Hospital, Magri said.

“The attending nurse advised that no stitches would be needed,” Magri said. “His wounds were superficial.”

His injuries were treated and bandaged, said Magri. “He was released back into our custody,” he said, “where he has since been placed on suicide watch.”

McCollum was arrested on Monday morning for multiple vehicle burglaries and stealing a police officer’s personal vehicle and a city owned vehicle.

He was charged with two counts of grand larceny auto, three counts vehicle burglary, possession of stolen property, suspended driver’s license and on a hold for Mississippi Department of Corrections because he was on probation.