BEKKI KANTER, 11Alive Updated 3:08 p.m. EST
Atlanta Police Department Offense Report, Courtesy CNN
ATLANTA --A man was arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Wednesday. Police say he is connected to a series of at least 20 stabbings in three states.
Sixteen of the stabbings happened in Flint, Mich., three in Leesburg, Va., and one in Toledo, Ohio. According to officials, many of the stabbings appear to be racially motivated.
According to Flint court records, Judge Tracy Collier-Nix signed a warrant Thursday morning charging Elias Abuelazam with assault with intent to murder in the July 27 stabbing of Antwione Marshall.
FBI officials in Atlanta said the US Customs and Border Protection Service would be holding a news conference in Leesburg, Va. Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m. to update the matter. 11Alive.com will have coverage of the news conference live.
11Alive News has confirmed that authorities took Abuelazam into custody at Hartsfield Jackson Airport. According to Delta Air Lines officials, Abuelazam was scheduled to board a 10:15 p.m. flight.
Abuelazam was taken into custody prior to boarding the flight, Sandra Hasegawa with U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Thursday morning.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection worked with the FBI, Michigan State Police, and Atlanta Police Department and was able to identify him before the plane took off, she said.
Michigan State Police let the Atlanta Police Department know that Abuelazam might be in the Atlanta area, Major Keith Meadows with the Atlanta Police Department said.
Police at the airport saw something matching the description of the suspect, he said.
Abuelazam is now at the City of Atlanta Pretrial Detention Facility, Meadows said.
Michigan State Police will take control of the investigation from this point, he said.
An APD report released Thursday says Abuelazam was arrested after he walked up to the ticket counter.