In Joliet, Illinois, a trial commenced involving a suburban Chicago landlord who is accused of fatally stabbing a young Palestinian American boy and injuring his mother, with the attack being labeled as a hate crime. This tragic event unfolded on October 14, 2023, allegedly triggered by the landlord’s response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The war started on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel.
Joseph Czuba, aged 73, faces charges related to the death of six-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and the serious injury of Hanan Shaheen. Prosecutors claimed during the opening statements that the family was targeted due to their Islamic faith. The trial included emotionally charged descriptions from prosecutor Michael Fitzgerald, who shared a poignant 911 call and detailed witness statements. Graphic crime scene images displaying multiple stab wounds to the boy’s body were shown to depict the severity of the attack. “He could not escape,” Fitzgerald told the jury, underlining the brutality of the crime by noting that the knife was left in the child’s body.
Czuba, present in the courtroom dressed in a suit with his greying hair draping over his shoulders, entered a plea of not guilty on various charges including first-degree murder and attempted murder. Throughout the proceedings, he remained silent. Kylie Blatti, the Will County Public Defender, urged the jury to dissect each piece of evidence meticulously, stressing that the emotional impact of disturbing images could cloud judgment. “Go beyond the emotions to carefully examine the evidence,” Blatti stated, emphasizing the importance of objectivity.
The incident took place in Plainfield, a suburb located nearly 40 miles from Chicago, where the family had rented part of the home shared with the Czubas. Hanan Shaheen, the first witness at the trial, narrated her account of events preceding the attack. She indicated that for two years, they cohabitated peacefully with Czuba and his wife, utilizing shared spaces like the kitchen and living room. However, following the outbreak of war, Czuba allegedly demanded they vacate the premises due to their Muslim identity. Shaheen suggested that he should pray for peace. Subsequently, she was attacked by Czuba, who told her, “You, as a Muslim, must die,” while brutally assaulting her.
Shaheen, terrified and wounded, managed to lock herself in a bathroom and called for help amidst the chaos, bloodied and afraid as her son cried out in another part of the house. “The landlord is killing me and my baby!” she reportedly yelled during the 911 call. Court attendees listened to this distressing recording as background shouting was heard, while Shaheen relived the nightmare with her head bowed, emotionally overwhelmed.
The little boy, initially known as Wadea Al-Fayoume, was declared dead at a hospital. His mother, who endured over a dozen stab wounds, took weeks to recuperate from the assault. This incident stirred anxiety within the large Palestinian community in Chicago, fueled by growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S. since the October 2023 attacks by Hamas.
Wadee was remembered fondly by hundreds at his janazah, or funeral service, celebrated for his love of sports and Legos. Meanwhile, his father, divorced from Shaheen and not residing at the house, has filed a wrongful death claim and attended the trial with an uncle. Hanan Shaheen, represented by notable civil rights attorney Ben Crump, refrained from speaking to the press during the legal process. “Hanan Shaheen continues the unimaginable fight for justice for Wadee,” Crump expressed, demonstrating confidence in the prosecution’s capability to seek justice within approximately a week’s duration of trial.
