'Person of interest' captured in stabbings

By Debbi Wilgoren and Maria Glod

updated 9:43 a.m.





Suspect sketch. (Courtesy of Michigan police)

A "person of interest" in a series of killings in Michigan and attacks in Leesburg and Ohio was taken into custody in Atlanta late Wednesday as he attempted to leave the country, authorities said Thursday morning. Police believe the attacks are racially motivated.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, acting on information from the FBI, stopped the man at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport at about 10 p.m. Wednesday, according to a statement from the agency. The man was preparing to board Delta Flight 152 bound for Tel Aviv.

The border protection agency said warrants have been issued for the man's arrest in both Michigan and Virginia--although that information could not be immediately confirmed with authorities in those states. FBI Washington Field Office spokeswoman Lindsay Godwin said the man is being held on a Michigan charge of assault with intent to murder.

A law enforcement source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Washington Post the man has relatives in the Leesburg area.

Leesburg police spokesman Chris Jones said the individual--whose name was not released--also has ties to Flint, Mich., where most of the attacks have taken place.

News outlets in Michigan reported that the man worked at a liquor store in Beecher, just north of Flint, for most of July. The manager of the store, Abdullah Farah, told news reporters that the man was originally from Israel. Authorities in Michigan have scheduled a news conference for 2 p.m.

"While this is a key step in the investigation, there are still many issues that need to be addressed before we identify this individual as the person responsible for this horrific crime spree," Jones said in a statement. "All agencies and investigators continue to work closely to bring this investigation to a successful conclusion. As more information is solidified, additional information will be released."

Police said earlier this week that the "Flint serial killer," who is thought to have killed five men and wounded 10 -- almost all of them black -- also was suspected of stabbing or attacking three dark-skinned men in Leesburg.

Authorities in Toledo suspect the same man may be responsible for stabbing a 59-year-old man in that city over the weekend.

The Toledo man was reported in critical condition early this week. All of the Leesburg victims are expected to recover.

Authorities have not conclusively linked the crimes through DNA or other forensic evidence, but they said there are striking similarities among the attacks, all of which were unprovoked.

The attacker has consistently been described as a tall, muscular white man who often wears a baseball cap. He often gets close to victims by asking for directions or for help with his car; other times he says nothing at all while he approaches his targets from behind. All of the victims were alone when they were attacked.

One of the most compelling links among the crimes is the suspect's sport-utility vehicle, police said. In Virginia, Michigan and Ohio, he was seen in a dark-green Chevrolet Blazer with tan paneling at the bottom.

The Virginia assaults began Aug. 3, when a teenager out for a nighttime jog suddenly felt a sharp pain, then turned to see a man who had plunged a knife in his back. Two days later and a short distance away, a 67-year-old man who was sitting on the stoop outside his apartment was stabbed by a person who police suspect was the same assailant. On Friday, police say, the same attacker is believed to have asked a 19-year-old man for help fixing the Blazer, then struck him in the head with a hammer.

The Friday night attack was recorded by a nearby security camera, providing investigators with an image of both the suspect and the vehicle.

-- Debbi Wilgoren and Maria Glod. Staff writers Mary Pat Flaherty and Caitlin Gibson contributed to this report.

Earlier coverage:



Video of SUV linked to Leesburg hammer assault released



Raw video: Va. stabbing suspect's SUV



Michigan serial killer suspected in three Leesburg, Va., attacks



Hunt for suspected serial killer hits 3 states