Elias Abuelazam (suspect photo)

The man suspected of stabbing 18 victims and trying to flee from the country was taken down Wednesday night at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.  Elias Abuelazam, 33, was booked on a Delta flight for Israel when a tip developed into a strong lead that put investigators hot on his trail.  As he was waiting to get on his plane, Abuelazam was taken down around 10 p.m.  I spoke with Lt. Gene Kapp of the Michigan State Police and he said since Monday they’ve received 600 tips in this case, one of which turned out to be an excellent lead.  Abuelazam had his first hearing today and will not fight extradition to Michigan to face one inital charge of assault with intent to murder for a July 27, 2010 incident.

Lt. Kapp realizes that if the tip had come in just a few hours later, the alleged suspect may have been on the flight across the world. “Everyone was working hard to place him there, and the fact that we had the contacts and the communications with the federal agencies to move that quick to make the apprehension for us,” added Kapp.