He is ISRAELI!
FLINT, Michigan — It came down to a single tip that authorities received just after midnight Wednesday to bring suspected serial stabber Elias Abuelazam into custody.
In less than 24 hours, police on a cross-country manhunt quietly arrested Abuelazam, 33, an Israeli native, as he waited to board a flight to Tel Aviv.
It was a sudden turn in a bizarre case that captivated the nation in the week since police first announced a deadly serial stabber was on the loose on Flint streets.
Police believe Abuelazam is responsible for 18 attacks in three states, killing five. The Flint area bore the brunt of frenzy — 14 stabbings and all of the deaths — before it moved on to Virginia and Toledo.
Most of the victims were black, all men.
Kareem Minor, whose older brother Arnold Minor was killed Aug. 2, said he’s relieved someone has been arrested, but he still has more questions than answers.
“We are still trying to see what his motivation was,” Kareem Minor said. “I still want to find out more. ... We need to figure out why he was so intimate with his murders.”
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said they do not yet know what the motive was for the killings.
The anonymous tip phoned into the Michigan State Police tip line Wednesday led authorities to Kingwater Market on Coldwater Road, a Beecher party store where Abuelazam had worked for about a month.
There they learned that Abuelazam hadn’t been to work since he left after midnight Aug. 2 — just before Minor was killed at 2:30 a.m. on South Saginaw Street, the last attack recorded in Genesee County.
Another tie to Abuelazam was a white New Amsterdam gin T-shirt that he had been given — a shirt that was described by some of the survivors of the attacks.
Abuelazam, who was known to customers as “Eli,” told people at the market that he was going to Virginia, Leyton said.
He had moved to Flint in May, but previously lived in the area in the mid-1990s. Abuelazam was in the U.S. on a valid green card, Leyton said.
The first Virginia attack was the next day, Aug. 3., when a 15-year-old was stabbed at about 9:30 p.m. in Leesburg, where authorities believe Abuelazam’s sister lives and he previously lived with when married to his now ex-wife.
Abuelazam was pulled over by police on a traffic stop at about 1:15 a.m. a few hours later in Arlington, Va., and arrested on an outstanding misdemeanor assault warrant.
His green 1996 Chevrolet Blazer was impounded, and police found a knife in the driver’s side door and a hammer in the rear passenger’s side.
Abuelazam posted bail, was released after a few hours and had the vehicle returned to him later that day.
Abuelazam allegedly stabbed his second victim in Leesburg — a 67-year-old man — just hours later at 6:15 a.m.
The third attack in Leesburg came the night of Aug. 6, when a 19-year-old was struck in the head with a hammer after being asked by a man to help fix a dark-green vehicle about 9:45 p.m.
The next day, police believe Abuelazam was driving back to Michigan when he stopped in Toledo and allegedly stabbed a janitor outside a church. All the out-of-state victims survived.
“Victims of these crimes should be in our thoughts and prayers,” Leyton said. “Five people from our community are gone and we pray for their families.”
Police believe Abuelazam returned to his home on Maryland Avenue, near Riegle Avenue on Saturday. The home and the one next door are owned by Abuelazam’s uncle, Leyton said. Both were raided Thursday morning by police.
"It's scary just to think that he could have passed by our house and we wouldn't have known it," said Ashley Miller, 14, who is living with an aunt in the neighborhood.
Abuelazam stayed in Flint until taking off from Detroit Wednesday headed first for Louisville, Ky., then to Atlanta and finally on to Tel Aviv. The uncle — who has been cooperating with police — paid more than $3,000 for Abuelazam’s flight, Leyton said.
The warrant for Abuelazam’s arrest was signed early Thursday morning by Flint District Court Judge Tracy Collier-Nix.
He’s being held on a single charge of assault with intent to commit murder for a July 27 attack of Antwoine Marshall, 26, near Pierson and Fleming roads.
Only one charge is needed to hold a suspect and Abuelazam will likely face more charges, Leyton said.
Marshall’s grandmother, Betty Allen, 60, said police went to his home around 3 a.m. Thursday morning and showed him a mugshot of the suspect.
“When he got hurt he said if he saw (the suspect) again, he would know him. He knew who (the suspect) was as soon as they showed him the picture.”
The Blazer was also seized Thursday, but Leyton would not release any details about any physical evidence that could have been found.
Police took additional evidence from the Kingwater Market in Mt. Morris on Thursday. They previously spent about 10 hours at the store Wednesday studying surveillance video from the store, said Abdullah Farah, the store manager.
As word of the arrest spread Thursday an angry crowd gathered outside the Kingwater Market with bystanders yelling insults and accusations. Police broke up the crowd about 10 a.m.
Police also came to their defense, saying the owner and store manager at Kingwater Market was "extremely cooperative" in assisting with the investigation that led to Abuelazam’s arrest.
Task force investigators are in Atlanta with the suspect. Leyton would not comment about whether he was cooperating with authorities.
As of Thursday evening, Abuelazam was lodged in the Fulton County Jail in Georgia. He could be extradited to Michigan as soon as today.
Leyton said his office is prepared if Abuelazam fights extradition.
The state police’s tip line — 866-246-9500 — will remain open for any more information regarding the alleged killer.
Two of the earlier reported attacks are no longer linked to the serial killer — one because it did not match the stabber’s method of operation and one because the victim retracted his statement and the suspect was someone he knew, Leyton said.
