The attacks spanned several months, but it took just seven days from that first official announcement to his Atlanta arrest.
"We think he's hunting," said the Flint Police Department's T.P. Johnson back in August.
And with that, Wednesday, Aug. 4, police put out the information that there were similar Flint-area attacks that started in late May.
"We have identified five homicides," Johnson said.
The suspect's MO was the same.
"This suspect is preying upon people's goodwill," Johnson said.
"A task force of Genesee County law enforcement agencies has been established and committed their full resources," said Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton.
Very quickly, we learned more about the victims. All of them were men who'd been walking alone late at night.
"I just want to find out why," said Velma Marshall on Aug. 4.
Marshall's son Darwin was murdered July 26.
"I'm hurting," she said. "Other mothers are hurting. I just want it to stop."
Living victims came forward to share what they remembered about their attacker.
"And then the next thing I know is he just started stabbing me," said victim Antwoine Marshall.
"I won't forget it," said victim Davon Rawls.
A composite sketch was released. The following Monday, there came the vehicle description and then word that there were also attacks in Virginia and Ohio the previous week.
"These assaults may be related," Leyton said on Aug. 9.
Wednesday, August 11, suspected serial stabber Abuelazam was arrested in Atlanta.
One single tip and a lot of good police work according to Leyton led investigators to an airport there.
"He was waiting to board a Delta Airlines flight bound for Tel Aviv," Leyton said.
He was charged, waived extradition and will be back in Michigan this week to face that one count.
He will be formally charged once he returns this week.
