Man accused of stabbing transgender teen 18 times at Miami airport

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A man accused of stabbing a transgender 17-year-old girl with a butcher knife at Miami International Airport on Sunday was arrested and charged with attempted murder, police said.

Alexander Love, 29, was charged with first-degree attempted murder with a deadly weapon and attempted premeditated murder, according to an arrest report from the Miami-Dade Police Department.

Officers responded to Terminal J around 11:30 p.m. after reports of a stabbing, officials said in a news release. The victim was eating a meal while sitting on the floor when, officials say, Love attacked her without provocation, stabbing her about 18 times in her face, head, arms, shoulders, neck and legs before he tried to throw her over a safety retaining glass, officials said.

"The victim was able to escape the attack and ran down the stairs to the third-floor level, which is where the officers found her," police said.

She was taken to a local medical center in critical condition and had emergency surgery, officials said. Her condition Tuesday afternoon was not available.

Love was taken into custody shortly after the attack by Customs and Border Patrol, the arrest report says. Officials said that at the police station, Love admitted to being involved in the attack and said he had become acquainted with the victim beforehand.

"The defendant added he was possibly drugged and someone inserted an unknown object in his rectum," the report says. "Although the defendant is not certain the victim is responsible for this, the defendant made a statement indicating he needed to hurt whoever hurt him and was prompted to purchase the knife at a Target store near Miami International Airport."

Police said they recovered a knife from the scene.

Love was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to online records. It's not clear whether he has an attorney.

He was denied bond in court Monday and ordered not to contact the victim, NBC South Florida reported.

Hate crime charges have not been ruled out because police have not been able to speak to the victim yet, a police spokesperson told NBC News.