US man kills Muslim boy in hate crime motivated by Israel-Hamas war
Wadea Al-Fayoume is seen in this undated photo. Illinois police say the six-year-old Muslim boy was stabbed to death in an attack that targeted him and his mother for their religion and as a response to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (Council on American-Islamic Relations/Reuters)
Online desk: A 71-year-old Illinois man accused of fatally stabbing a six-year-old boy and seriously wounding a 32-year-old woman was charged with a hate crime Sunday, reports The Associated Press.
Police allege he singled out the victims because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas.
Officers found the woman and boy late Saturday morning at a home, southwest of Chicago.
The boy was pronounced dead at a hospital. The woman had multiple stab wounds and was expected to survive, according to the statement. An autopsy on the child showed he had also been stabbed dozens of times.
U.S. President Joe Biden in a statement said he and his wife Jill were “shocked and sickened” to learn about the killing.
“The child’s Palestinian Muslim family came to America seeking what we all seek — a refuge to live, learn, and pray in peace,” said Biden. “This horrific act of hate has no place in America, and stands against our fundamental values: freedom from fear for how we pray, what we believe, and who we are.”
The man suspected in the attack was found Saturday outside the home and “sitting upright outside on the ground near the driveway of the residence” with a cut on his forehead, authorities said.
Joseph M. Czuba of Plainfield was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crimes and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to the sheriff’s office.
WLS-TV reported that Czuba was scheduled for an initial hearing on Monday afternoon at the county courthouse in Joliet, according to the Will County State’s Attorney Office.
Attempts to reach Czuba or a family member were unsuccessful Sunday. His home phone number was unlisted. Messages left for possible relatives in online records and on social media were not immediately returned. The sheriff’s office and county public defender’s office did not immediately return messages about Czuba’s legal representation.
