Atlanta police describe arrest of suspected serial stabber at airport ticket counter

Atlanta police describe stabbing suspect arrest

ATLANTA — Atlanta police say they arrested a posible suspect in a string of 20 stabbings across three states as he approached the ticket counter at a busy Atlanta airport.

An Atlanta Police Department incident report released Thursday says that officers arrested Elias Abuelazam after he approached the ticket counter late Wednesday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The incident report said that police paged the 33-year-old over the intercom and he was immediately detained.

Michigan State Police arrived at the airport around 4 a.m. and Abuelazam and investigators were transported to the homicide office. The release said he is being temporarily detained at the city jail and that the investigation is ongoing.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Police in northern Virginia say a suspect in a string of 20 stabbings in three states was arrested last week during a traffic stop and later released.

Arlington County police spokeswoman Detective Crystal L. Nosal said Thursday that Elias Abuelazam, who was driving, was pulled over on a routine traffic stop at 1:15 a.m. on Aug. 5.

Nosal says officers found that Abuelazam was wanted on a simple assault warrant out of Leesburg, Va. She says after booking him, a magistrate denied Abuelazam bond, and released him the same day on personal recognizance, meaning he would be responsible for returning to court.