A family’s landlord Joseph Czuba stabbed 6-year-old Wadea AL Fayoume to death.
Czuba was charged with two counts of hate crime, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, first-degree murder, and attempted first-degree murder.
His parents are from a village in West Bank, Israel and moved to the United States over 12 years ago where their son was later born.
The Will County Sheriff’s Office stated Czuba fatally stabbed Al-Fayoume 26 times, also injured was his 32-year-old mother, Hanaan Shahin who endured dozens of stab wounds. The neighbors of the family told CBS that the mother and son moved in four years ago and kept to themselves. On the other hand, Czuba often caused concern for the family’s neighbors as he would place radical religious and political signs in their yards.
According to CBS News, the usually quiet neighborhood in Plainfield, Illinois was hit with this horrific act of bigotry in the heat of the Israel-Hamas war. The Justice Department has opened a case on this hate crime against the Muslim community. Shahin told detectives that Czuba attacked her and her son in the morning of Oct. 14 due the continuous conflict in the Middle East. Officials say the family was targeted because of their faith and as a response to the Israel-Hamas war.
“I don’t care what the situation was,” neighbor Eva Case said. “Don’t take it out on somebody that is innocent of life.”
The father, Odey Al Fayoum, reported that before the attack they had a pleasant friendship with the landlord. Czuba even had a treehouse built in their backyard for Wadea, would let him swim in a makeshift pool, and would bring him toys so he could play.
“But it wasn’t until he started watching the news and hearing the statements [about the war] that something changed,” Odey Al Fayoum said, according to NBC News.
The Biden family condemned this anti-Muslim attack.
“The child’s Palestinian Muslim family came to America seeking what we all seek—a refuge to live, learn, and pray in peace, this horrific act of hate has no place in America,” President Biden said.
