A serial killer responsible for five deaths in Michigan is now hunting black and Hispanic men in Northern Virginia, Leesburg police said.
Leesburg Chief of Police Joseph R. Price said he is confident the muscular white man who has attacked three people in his town is the serial killer who has been terrorizing black neighborhoods around Flint, Mich.
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“These people were picked at random,” Price said. The assailant approached the victims without saying a word and attacked.
Virginia police are working closely with authorities in Michigan, where police said the killer has murdered five people and wounded 10 others since May. The attacks appear to be racially motivated, Price said.
Since Aug. 3 in Leesburg, two black males have been stabbed with a knife and a Hispanic teen has been attacked with a hammer. None of the injuries has been fatal.
On Aug. 3, a 15-year-old boy was jogging near East Market and Plaza streets Southeast when a man jumped out of a vehicle and stabbed him. Two days later, a 67-year-old man was stabbed. Then, on Friday, a 19-year-old Hispanic man was hit in the head with a hammer.
In one of the latest attacks, the assailant fled in a dark green Chevrolet Blazer or GMC Jimmy with two large dents in the hood.
That description is a close match to the vehicle used in the Michigan attacks.
Michigan State Police said they believe the killer drives a 1995 to 2006 four-door Chevrolet S-10 Blazer, GMC Jimmy or similar type of vehicle, two-tone green over beige or gold.
The suspect is described as a muscular white male in his late 20s or early 30s, about 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, with light-colored hair and wearing a baseball cap.
Police in Michigan say the man approaches his victims, asking for help or directions, and then engages in a short conversation before stabbing them repeatedly.
Anyone with information about the attacks is asked to call Leesburg police at 703-771-4500. Callers who want to remain anonymous can call 703-443-TIPS.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
