Judge denies release of Plainfield Township man charged with child’s murder, hate crime

A Plainfield Township man charged with attacking a Muslim family – including stabbing to death a 6-year-old boy – was a regular listener of conservative talk radio who had been concerned about the “National Day of Jihad” in the time leading up to the attack, prosecutors said.

On Monday, Judge Donald DeWilkins denied the pretrial release of Joseph Czuba, 71, who’s been charged with the aggravated battery and first-degree murder of 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume.

Czuba also has been charged with the aggravated battery and attempted first-degree murder of the child’s mother, Hanaan Shahin, 32.

“There is a threat to the community in general based on some of the facts I heard in this matter,” said DeWilkins, who added that he also is worried about the safety of Shahin.

The mother survived the brutal attack Saturday at a residence at 16201 S. Lincoln Highway in Plainfield Township. Czuba was the landlord of the property. Shahin told investigators that she rents two rooms on the first floor of the Plainfield home, while Czuba and his wife live on the second floor.

Shahin told police that the “day started out normal with breakfast” before the incident, Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Fitzgerald said.

Shahin had lived at the residence with her son for two years with no past issues with Czuba, although she described him to police as an “angry man,” Fitzgerald said.

Shahin said she got into an argument with Czuba over the conflict between Hamas and Israel in the Middle East, Fitzgerald said.

The argument turned physical, and Shahin locked herself in a nearby bathroom, but she was not able to retrieve her son, Fitzgerald said.

She then called the police.

“She could hear her son being stabbed,” Fitzgerald said.

When Will County sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene, they were told the 911 caller – Shahin – had said her landlord was “killing the baby with a knife,” Fitzgerald said.

Deputies and Plainfield police officers arrived at the house and forced their way in.

Two deputies entered a bedroom and saw Wadea lying on the bed shirtless with multiple stabs wounds to the chest and a knife in his stomach, Fitzgerald said.

Czuba was found lying on his back in the yard at the rear of the residence with a cut to his forehead, Fitzgerald said. He sat up on his own and placed his hands behind his back.

Police found a knife holster on Czuba’s waist and several pocket knives near his feet, Fitzgerald said.

During Shahin’s interview with police, she said Czuba was “angry at her for what was going on in Jerusalem,” and she wanted to “pray for peace,” Fitzgerald said.

Yet Czuba attacked her with a large blade, Fitzgerald said.

Shahin said Czuba also confronted her Oct. 11 about “what was going on in the Middle East,” Fitzgerald said.

Police interviewed Czuba’s wife, who said her husband listens to conservative talk radio on a regular basis and became heavily interested in the events in Israel, Fitzgerald said.

Czuba’s wife said her husband wanted Shahin and her son to move out of the residence, Fitzgerald said. Czuba believed that he and his wife were in danger and believed Shahin was going to call over her Palestinian friends and family to harm them, Fitzgerald said.

Czuba apparently made a $1,000 cash withdrawal “in case the U.S. grid went down,” Fitzgerald said.

Czuba also was worried about the “National Day of Jihad” that was supposed to occur Friday, Fitzgerald said.

Czuba has been charged with committing a hate crime against the two victims during the attack. The hate crime charges carry less severe penalties than the other charges with a sentencing range of probation or up to three years in prison.

In Illinois, a person commits a hate crime when they commit other crimes – such as assault or battery –against a person based on their “actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, gender [or] sexual orientation,” according to state law.

Czuba will be represented by the Will County Public Defender’s Office. His next court date is Oct. 30.