TRAIL OF TERROR
‘Baby-faced knifeman’ terrorising Russian city with random attacks on ‘slim blonde women’ caught after being recognised by BlaBlaCar driver
Videos of the suspect stalking his victims have been released
A MAN who terrorised a Russian city after stalking and attacking ‘slim blonde women’ was detained after being recognised by a BlaBlaCar driver.
Car capital Tolyatti was in “panic” after seven random stabbings and assaults by a “baby-faced knifeman” - with vigilante groups patrolling the streets.
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Police have named the suspect as 22-year-old Artem Semyonov.
It was later revealed he had split acrimoniously with his blonde girlfriend - seen as the motive behind the string of attacks.
CCTV footage of a man suspected to be Semyonov have been released.
One video showed him creeping up on a woman on a doorstep.
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She noticed him and screamed before fleeing, leaving her coat slashed by his knife.
Another showed him prowling the snowy streets.
He is believed to have multiple victims including a 20-year-old bank employee who was stabbed in the liver after an attack in a residential area.
Another victim was a post office manager, 46, who needed intensive care treatment for knife wounds.
Details of his other victims have not been disclosed.
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NTV channel reported: “The criminal attacked only slim blonde women of average height and did not rob them."
Sources claimed “the reason for these crimes was a dispute with his girlfriend”.
After his picture appeared widely in the city - home to Lada cars with a 720,000 population - he fled by BlaBlaCar, a Russian carpooling service, to Moscow, 612 miles away.
The suspect changed his social media pictures and posted a message: "Go search for me - you will never get me.”
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His driver later recognised pictures of the runaway man and informed police, say reports.
As a result, he was detained at Kazan railway station in Moscow.
His detention was confirmed by Colonel Irina Volk, spokeswoman of the Interior Ministry of Russia, in an operation involving several forces.
She said: “The criminal waited for his victims in deserted areas, in entrances to apartment blocks, attacked them causing injuries, then escaped.
“In three cases he used a knife.”
The suspect was moved back to Toliyatti for questioning.
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The attacker was said on social media to have a “baby face”, was described as being slim, up to 5ft7 in height.
Local citizens including fans of a local ice hockey club, a football club, and martial arts federation members took to the streets as vigilantes to help women stay safe.
The suspect faces up to 12 years in jail if convicted of intentionally causing grave injuries to multiple victims.
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