At an Atlanta airport, a man suspected of five deaths with 20 stabbings was arrested. Tel Aviv, Israel is where the man was headed on a flight. As an Israeli citizen, Elias Abuelazam came to the U.S. legally. The 20 incidents showed up as follows: 1 in Ohio, 3 in Virginia and 16 in Michigan. The majority of the victims were African American, and it is thought that race was a factor within the crimes.
May attacks
A man described looking like Elias Abuelazam started approaching individuals and asked for directions or getting help with a broken down vehicle beginning in May. The man would pull a knife, stab the victims and leave them for dead. ABC reports that police thought Elias Abuelazam was the stabber considering he was arrested for simple assault just lately. To identify the killer, law officials from Michigan, Virginia and Ohio all working together with the public to get an ID.
Race a motive behind killing
The crimes are thought to be motivated by race considering many of the victims were male African Americans. Most of the search was in Flint, Michigan which is where 16 of these stabbings happened. In Leesburg, Virginia, an additional 3 happened while Toledo, Ohio only had one. July 27, a Flint judge issued a warrant for his arrest because of these stabbings. A tip was given to Michigan police where they found him boarding a flight to Tel Aviv, Israel at the Atlanta International Airport. The intercom used a page to get police’s attention, and he was taken into custody.
No conviction yet
There is enough evidence to believe he is the perpetrator, but at this point he remains only a suspect. He won’t be sentenced to death considering Michigan, where five deaths happened, isn’t a death penalty state, and that is where he is being convicted.
ABC News
abcnews.go.com/US/TheLaw/serial-stabber-suspect-identified-elias-abuelazam-federal-officals/story?id=11382102 and amp;page=1
