An Emirati woman arrested on suspicion of fatally stabbing a U.S. teacher in a bathroom at a United Arab Emirates mall also is accused of placing a handmade bomb in front of an American doctor 's house , the country 's interior minister said Thursday . Police arrested the woman , identified only as in her 30s and a UAE national , Interior Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan said . More details about the arrest were n't immediately available . According to a diplomatic source , the woman arrested was of Yemeni origin and had traveled back and forth to Yemen `` multiple times . '' The woman was arrested about 48 hours after the attack . She is being interrogated by Emirati authorities and the investigation into the incident is ongoing , the source said . Police said a veiled woman stabbed American schoolteacher Ibolya Ryan , 47 , during a fight in a restroom at the high-end Boutik Mall on Reem Island on Monday . The alleged attacker was fully covered , donning an abaya -- a black , full-length gown traditionally worn by Emirati women -- black gloves , a face cover and a hijab , or head scarf , police said . She fled the mall after the attack . Police believe Ryan , who was the mother of three children , did not know the attacker , Al Nahyan said . The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi issued a statement , back in October , warning U.S. citizens of an anonymous Internet post that encouraged attacks against teachers at American and other international schools . The embassy was unaware of any specific , credible threat at that time , but called on citizens to be vigilant about their personal security . Teacher remembered for compassion , dedication . Just a few months after her arrival in Abu Dhabi , Ryan offered enthusiastic advice to other teachers considering working abroad . `` I would say be positive , open minded , flexible and take every challenge as a learning experience , '' she wrote on the website of Footprints Recruiting , which placed her in Abu Dhabi . `` Also be thankful that you are able to have the experience of working abroad ; I think at the end it makes you not just learn about others but also about yourself . '' Ryan was born in Romania , held Hungarian and American citizenship and had been a dedicated teacher for 17 years , according to a Footprints Recruiting profile of her . In September 2013 , she began teaching in Abu Dhabi , where she lived with her 11-year-old twin boys . Before that , she taught special education students in Colorado , Footprints Recruiting CEO Ben Glickman said . Ryan , known as Iby to her friends , was very enthusiastic about the UAE and her work at an Emirati public school , Glickman said . `` She was getting immersed in the culture and talking about learning Arabic , '' he said . `` She thought this was a good experience for her children and she was having a good experience as well . '' Glickman , who described her as a `` compassionate and warm person , '' said employees in the UAE were `` shaken '' over Ryan 's death , but waiting for the results of the investigation . `` People obviously want answers , but are withholding judgment until we get further information , '' he said . Interior minister : Attacker wanted to create chaos . Surveillance video released by police shows the moments before and after the mall stabbing . A veiled figure that police identified as the attacker walks calmly in through a parking lot entrance , speaking to security guards , picking up a paper and disappearing around the corner out of sight . The video later shows the suspect running to an elevator and then leaving the mall through the same parking lot doors . Reem Island is a newly developed area of Abu Dhabi where many Western expatriates live . Later Monday , the suspect placed a primitive bomb in front of a house where an American Muslim doctor lives , said Al Nahyan , adding that authorities had video of the event . The doctor 's son saw the object and called police , Al Nahyan said . Police defused the device . Investigators believe that the attacker wanted to create chaos and spread fear , Al Nahyan said . He did n't discuss possible motives beyond that or say what led police to the suspect .
Slain American teacher is remembered for compassion and dedication . Woman also accused of planting bomb near U.S. doctor 's house in Dhaka . American was killed in the doctor 's room at high - rise mall , police say . The year - old victim was a schoolteacher , mother of three .