A Georgia man has been jailed on allegations he confessed to stabbing his wife in Lithonia, Ga., late Sunday and then reportedly driving nearly three hours before stopping in Aiken to take her for treatment, officials said.

Kenneth Hines, 54, of Lithonia, Ga., is being held at the Aiken County detention center for aggravated assault with a weapon and kidnapping.

His wife, Laverne P. Hines, 46, is recovering at Aiken Regional Medical Centers, officials said.

She was in fair condition late Monday.

About 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aiken Public Safety officers were called to the hospital where the victim was being treated.

An Aiken County EMS supervisor told the officer that the 46-year-old woman had been stabbed several times.

He said he understood that Kenneth Hines left with his wife after the stabbing and then contacted Georgia officials to confess and surrender.

Aiken Public Safety Lt. David Turno said Monday he does not know why the Georgia man drove for nearly three hours before surrendering. He said the stabbing reportedly occurred in Georgia before 8 p.m.

The Georgia couple arrived in Aiken about 10:30 p.m.

Once in Aiken, Kenneth Hines told Aiken police that his wife was trying to divorce him and take the house, although the officer noted in his report that the man's story changed several times.

He said he was downstairs at their Lithonia home earlier in the evening when they began arguing.

He grabbed a large knife, claiming at first that he wanted to stab himself but then said he was only able to injure himself, according to officials.

He told the officer that he went upstairs and began stabbing his wife in their bathroom.

After stabbing her repeatedly, he told Aiken police he put her into their Lexus and began to head east on I-20.

On his way, he called the Georgia authorities and confessed, police said.

He took his wife to the Aiken hospital. It is unclear if Georgia officials convinced the man to stop or if he did so on his own accord.

Once in Aiken, he told Aiken police he had gone to a friend's house to borrow a gun at first, but no one would let him have one. He said he grabbed a knife instead.

Georgia officials will extradite the Lithonia man.

Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.