“Attacks may have been racially motivated”
American authorities arrested a “person of interest” of Israeli descent on Wednesday on suspicion of being involved in serial killings in three different states. The man was identified by law enforcement sources as Elias Abuelazam, 33, the Washington Post reported.
Media outlets in the United States reported that the suspect was removed from a flight from Atlanta to Tel Aviv.
A spokesman for US Customs and Border Protection says the agency’s officers arrested the man about 10 pm Wednesday night at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, as he attempted to board a Delta flight for Tel Aviv. The suspect was handed over to the FBI and Atlanta police.
FOX News reported that the man has a dual citizenship – Israeli and American – and that more than 500 tips helped lead to his arrest. The US law enforcement authorities were aware of his identity and his name was placed on a black list of people not allowed to leave the country. The suspect was apparently caught after making the mistake of registering for the flight.