Serial Stabber Suspect Named, Nabbed in Airport Trying to Flee to Israel

ABCNews.com ^ | 08/12/2010 | LEE FERRAN, COURTNEY CHAPMAN and JOHN WETENHALL

[OldDeckHand]

Feds: Elias Abuelazam Arrested in Connection to 20 Vicious Stabbing Attacks.

Michigan resident Elias Abuelazam was identified today as the suspect in a series 20 vicious stabbings that included five deaths in three states, federal officials told ABC News.

Abuelazam, 33, was apprehended Wednesday night at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport as he was about to board a plane for Israel, officials said. He was tracked to the airport after investigators dashed to track down a new lead that originated in Michigan.

Abuelazam has not been charged in the attacks and was taken into custody on unrelated charges, investigators said.

[OldDeckHand]

One of the victims, a black man, does NOT believe the attacker was racially motivated. I'm not sure what kind of name Abuelazam is - Jewish semite? Arab?

[RobRoy]

Two things:

1. Why would an Amish guy flee to Israel and
2. What is an Amish guy doing in Michigan?

[sinanju]

Try the Wapo story, it’s more detailed.

An Israeli Arab, living here a dozen years. So now instead of a lily white serial killer targeting black men, it’s an A-rab. The comments section is getting medieval on them.

[griswold3]

‘Elias Abuelazam’

sounds Menonite to me and Graber and der Parson.

[LdSentinal]

Arab.

Poor Liberal Media. They wanted a White, Teabagger to be the culprit.

[denydenydeny]

“Elias” is a very common Arab Christian name; it would be unusual for a Muslim to be named that.

[Abathar]

You can hear the clicks of a thousand delete keys across the nation as all the already written stories about his suspected ties to the KKK and racial motivations just got flushed.

[Cheetahcat]

Sounds like he was pissed off!

[davidlachnicht]

Serial Killer? Where is the pathology? Wouldn’t “lone terrorist” be just appropriate at this point?

[sinanju]

You’ll notice ABC news was careful to dredge up the one victim who was white.

[OldDeckHand]

"Try the Wapo story, it’s more detailed."

I looked for previous stories, but couldn't find any posted. Has that story been posted?

I wonder how long ABC will go before they describe him as "Arab".

[davidlachnicht]

Technically, Arab is Caucasian.

[iowamark]

It’s an Arab name. He lived in Flint, Michigan, an Arab enclave. He was reportedly born in Israel, as are many Arabs.

[Southack]

He’s a 6’ 3” Arab... his youngest victim was 17; the oldest was 60. They ranged in size from 5-foot-4 inches and 120 pounds to 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds.

[Big Bureaucracy]

The Russian media report he is an Arab with a green card. They spell his name Elias Abu Al-Azam.

[Shermy]

“Where is the pathology?”

The Beatles spoke to him through Helter Skelter. Or a dog named Sam told him to do it.

Just another crazy person. No reason. Maybe some Black guy told him he was a jerk once.

[Pearls Before Swine]

I'm not sure what kind of name Abuelazam is - Jewish semite? Arab?

There was another post with a link to an article which said the name was "Abed al-Abu-Azzam" or something close. In other words, Elias is either an Anglicized or Hebraicized version of the Arabic, and presumably correct, name. Easier to read or political agenda? Take your pick.

[Big Bureaucracy]

Элиас Абу Аль-Азам Russians say he worked at a store (Muslim owned) as a cashier. He was legally here with a green card.

[DJ MacWoW]

I believe this is the only thread that's been posted.

Michigan Arrest in Serial Stabbings Case

[La Lydia]

The Wash Post comments?

[cripplecreek]

Technically, Arab is Caucasian.

Yeah, we use the term for white but its not particularly accurate. I remember reading about racially motivated attacks on Caucasians across Russia and it threw me till I read up on it.

[jazminerose]

Upset about his mortgage or Obamacare?

[RobRoy]

>>The Russian media report he is an Arab with a green card. They spell his name Elias Abu Al-Azam.<<

OK, then, number 3: What kind of Amish parents would give their son a name like Abu Al-Azam?

[kress]

Israeli media is reporting his name is Elias Abu El-Azam. A Christian Arab from a small, predominantly Christian town in the city of Ramle in the south of Israel.

[Big Bureaucracy]

Israeli Haaretz spells his name: Elias Abuelazam, 33,

Israeli media reported that Abuelazam, an Israeli citizen and former resident of Ramle, recently visited Israel, but has been living in the U.S. legally.

[Cheetahcat]

“Upset about his mortgage or Obamacare?”

Maybe it was the Racist Blacks that drove him over the edge.

[240B]

I, as well as most Israelis, knew it was an Arab from the first report.

Arabs do this all the time, to Jews as well as each other in Israel and all over the world.

There is something about Muslims and knives. I guess it makes murder more personal for them or something.

[TornadoAlley3]

*

[GrandmaPatriot]

Please do not us the word teabagger even when ascribing it to the liberal media. It just perpetuates the use.

Thanks

[piytar]

Here’s a linky to the WaPo story: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/crime-scene/update-on-the-news/man-in-custody-in-serial-killi.html

[Red Badger]

So, we find out he’s an Arab. This story will disappear faster than a doughnut in a police station break room..............

[FreedomForce]

Here’s another article with more info about Abu El Azam.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3935338,00.html

Wikipedia shows Ramla to be 80% Jewish and 20% Arab(16% Muslim and 4% Christian) as of 2001.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramla#Demographics

[Sioux-san]

Like that dude in Connecticut - the racists took him down for stealing beer...what next?

[happinesswithoutpeace]

/mark