Image of the alleged killer of the 6-year-old Palestinian American boy and the Palestinian American boy.
The American landlord who allegedly stabbed a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy has on Monday, during the case review of the recent murder, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, two counts of a hate crime and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and others in llinois court, according to authorities.
Wades Al-Fayoume was stabbed 26 times to death, on the 14t day of October, by his parents landlord in Plainfield Township, llinois, the police said.
Another person involved in the ghastly attack was Hanaan Shahin, his mother, 32, who also suffered a series of stab wounds but narrowly escaped, authorities reported.
Though the landlord, Joseph Czuba, 71, has made no statement to detectives, investigators have over the fews days revealed that the victims were “targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis,” according to the sheriff’s.
The charges brought against Joseph Czuba include first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of a hate crime and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to the sheriff’s office.
He was seen dressed in a red county jumpsuit, as he pleaded not guilty during the Monday hearing.
According to Judge Donald DWilkins, a grand jury returned eight-count indictment against Mr. Joseph Czuba last week. He will remain held without bond.
Present at the brief Monday morning hearing was Wadea’s father, Oday Al-Fayoume.
The court case documents revealed that Joseph Czuba had moments before the attack told Wadea’s mother, Shahin, that he was angry at her for the war that was going on in Israel.
After listening to Czuba, according to what she told the police, Shahin responded “Let’s pray for peace.” But then Czuba attacked her with a knife, and when she hid in a bathroom to call 911, he severely stabbed her son, she told police.
Speaking only briefly to the judge, the accused man said he would like his assigned public legal counsel to represent him very well (5)
The attack had come earlier as part of the global effects of the Hamas attacks on Israel and Israel’s military strike responses and heavy military occupation of the Gaza enclave.
The war has, in the UK and US, inspired rising tensions and motivated pro Palestinians , Muslim and and Jews protests.
