(JTA) — A man being called a "person of interest’ in a series of killings and attacks in three states was arrested as he was about to board a flight to Tel Aviv.
The man has been identified by the Washington Post as Elias Abuelazam, 33, a Christian Arab from Ramla. Abuelazam reportedly was living legally in the United States and may be a dual citizen. He was last in Israel six months ago, at which time he reportedly was involved in a brawl in Ramla.
Abuelazam, who lived in the United States for several years as a child, was arrested Wednesday night in Atlanta, a law enforcement source told the Washington Post.
Nearly all of the attacks, which include at least a dozen non-fatal stabbings and five deaths, involved dark-skinned victims, either black or Latin American.
The crimes have not been linked by forensic evidence or DNA testing, but the unprovoked attacks all have similarities, according to the Washington Post.
The attacker has been described as a tall, muscular white man wearing a baseball cap who either approached his victims from behind or asked them for help to get close, the newspaper reported.
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