Q: The AJC recently reported that Elias Abuelazam, the suspect in the serial stabbings in Michigan, Virginia and Ohio, is an Israeli citizen who had a job at a party supply store in Flint, Mich. Did Abuelazam have a green card or work visa that allowed him to be legally employed in the United States?
-- Michelle Hutchinson, Marietta
A: Genesee County (Mich.) Prosecutor David Leyton told the Flint (Mich.) Journal that Abuelazam has a green card, and David Nachman, who specializes in immigration law, told the paper that Abuelazam's green card gives "him the right to a fair trial before deportation." Israel could contact the U.S. to inquire about extraditing Abuelazam there to face any other charges, but chances of that are unlikely, Nachman told the paper. Abuelazam, 33, was arrested Aug. 11 at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta in connection with a three-month stabbing spree that left five men dead and 13 others wounded in Michigan, Virginia and Ohio.
Q: Shoe bomber Richard Reid was sentenced in January 2003 to a long jail term. In addition, he was to pay restitution of $5,784 to American Airlines and $298.17 to Andre Bousquet. Who is Andre Bousquet?
-- Jim Carter, Dallas
A: According to the Los Angeles Times, Bousquet was a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 63 that Reid attempted to blow up with bombs in his shoes. According to the paper, Reid bit Bousquet on the hand while he was being subdued on the flight.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
About the Author
