An Illinois landlord charged with murder, attempted murder and a hate crime in a 2023 attack on a Palestinian American mother and her young son is expected at trial
Joseph Czuba, a 73-year-old Illinois landlord, is on trial for the murder of six-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and the attempted murder of Hanan Shaheen, both of Palestinian descent. The attack occurred on October 14, 2023, in Plainfield, Illinois, and is charged as a hate crime. Czuba, who has pleaded not guilty, allegedly attacked the family after Shaheen urged him to pray for peace amid the Hamas-Israel conflict. The boy was stabbed 26 times, and the murder charge describes the death as exceptionally brutal. The trial, expected to last about a week, has sparked concerns over rising anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian sentiment in the U.S., particularly since the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The case has drawn significant community support, with hundreds attending the boy's funeral. The boy's father has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
