Illinois landlord sentenced to 53 years over hate-crime killing of six-year-old

An Illinois landlord who killed a six-year-old Muslim boy and critically injured his mom in a vicious hate-crime assault days after the warfare in Gaza started was once sentenced on Friday to 53 years in jail.

Joseph Czuba, 73, was once discovered in charge in February of homicide, tried homicide and hate-crime fees within the dying of Wadee Alfayoumi and the wounding of his mom, Hanan Shaheen.

Czuba focused them in October 2023 as a result of their Islamic religion and as a reaction to the warfare between Israel and Hamas. The Palestinian American circle of relatives was once renting rooms from Czuba at a suburban Chicago area on the time of the assault.

Evidence at trial incorporated harrowing testimony from Shaheen and her frantic 911 name, at the side of bloody crime scene pictures and police video. Jurors deliberated for not up to 90 mins on Friday sooner than handing in a verdict. Illinois does no longer have the dying penalty.

The circle of relatives have been renting rooms in Czuba’s house in Plainfield, about 40 miles (65km) from Chicago. Central to prosecutors’ case was once harrowing testimony from the boy’s mom, who mentioned Czuba attacked her sooner than transferring directly to her son, insisting they needed to go away as a result of they have been Muslim. Prosecutors additionally performed the 911 name and confirmed police photos. Czuba’s spouse, Mary, whom he has since divorced, additionally testified for the prosecution, announcing he had turn into agitated concerning the Israel-Gaza warfare, which had erupted days previous.

Police mentioned Czuba pulled a knife from a holder on a belt and stabbed the boy 26 instances, leaving the knife within the kid’s frame. Some of the bloody crime scene pictures have been so particular that the pass judgement on agreed to show tv displays appearing them clear of the target market, which incorporated Wadee’s family members.

“He could not escape,” Michael Fitzgerald, a Will county assistant state’s legal professional, had instructed jurors at trial.

The assault renewed fears of anti-Muslim discrimination and hit in particular arduous in Plainfield and surrounding suburbs, that have a big and established Palestinian group.

Separately, proceedings were filed over the boy’s dying and the USA Department of Justice has introduced a federal hate-crimes investigation.