An Israeli national suspected of being responsible for five stabbing murders in a spate of late-night knife attacks against African-Americans in three US states was arrested in Atlanta as he prepared to fly to Tel Aviv.
Police said the suspect, Elias Abuelazam, was arrested on Wednesday night at a boarding gate at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson international airport.
"He surrendered without incident," Mr David Leyton, prosecutor for Michigan's Genesee County, told a news conference last night.
He added that Abuelazam (33) a legal resident of the United States, was carrying a valid Israeli passport as he prepared to board the Tel Aviv-bound Delta Airlines flight.
Most of the stabbings Mr Abuelazam is suspected of committing occurred in Michigan and a warrant charging him with assault with intent to commit murder was issued yesterday in Flint, Michigan.
Mr Leyton said all but three of the victims in the 18 attacks since the stabbings began on May 24th were black.
The prosecutor said he targeted them in an "opportunistic" way after allegedly following them in his green Chevrolet Blazer SUV as they walked along darkened streets at night in Flint, Toledo, Ohio and Leesburg, Virginia.
Mr Leyton stopped short of saying the serial stabbings were racially motivated, saying the assaults were still under investigation.
The suspect is expected to be extradited to Michigan, Mr Leyton said.
Reuters