71-Year-Old Landlord Pleads Not Guilty to Charges of First-Degree Murder, Attempted Murder, and Hate Crime in Connection with Attack on 6-Year-Old Palestinian Boy and His Mother

A 71-year-old landlord from Plainfield Township, Illinois, pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and hate crime in connection with an attack that left a 6-year-old Palestinian boy dead and his mother critically injured.

Joseph Czuba was indicted last week on three counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery, and two counts of hate crime. Prosecutors allege that Czuba stabbed 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume 26 times and his mother, 32-year-old Hanaan Shahin, more than a dozen times.

At his arraignment on Monday, Czuba stood at a lectern as Judge David Carlson read the eight-count indictment. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The attack occurred in March of this year and has been described as a hate crime by prosecutors. The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office has said that Czuba had a history of making racist and anti-Muslim remarks.

The case has been met with shock and outrage by members of the local community. A spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said that the attack was a “horrific hate crime” and that the organization was “deeply disturbed” by the news.

Czuba is currently being held in the Will County Jail without bond. His next court date is scheduled for August 5th.