Mother of 6-year-old slain in Plainfield Township pursues new wrongful death lawsuit

The mother of a child allegedly killed by her landlord in Plainfield Township last year claims in a lawsuit that a real estate business owner negligently recommended she to stay with the landlord while knowing he had violent tendencies and prejudices against Muslims.

A new lawsuit was filed May 22 by attorneys for Hanan Shaheen, who was allowed to become the administrator of the estate for her 6-year-old son, Wadee Alfayoumi. Shaheen was stabbed and her son killed Oct. 14 at a Plainfield Township residence. Shaheen was a tenant at the residence.

Joseph Czuba, 72, Shaheen’s landlord, stands charged with the first-degree murder of Wadee and the attempted murder of Shaheen. Czuba also is charged with committing a hate crime by stabbing the Shaheen and child on the basis of their Islamic faith.

The Will County case against Czuba has been stalled by an ongoing federal investigation into the incident that was announced Oct. 15.

Shaheen’s lawsuit supersedes the one filed by her ex-husband, Odai Alfayoumi, the father of Wadee, who initiated the case Nov. 21.

The defendants in Shaheen’s civil case are Czuba; his wife, Mary Czuba; Daniel Czuba and his company Daniel and Associates Real Estate. Another defendant is Discerning Property Management, also known as PM Property Management. State records last year listed Mary Czuba as manager of the company.

Shaheen’s lawsuit claims she found the Plainfield Township residence through Daniel Czuba, Joseph Czuba’s brother.

“Despite knowing of his brother’s violent tendencies, temper and prejudiced beliefs against Arabs and Muslims, [Daniel Czuba] informed [Shaheen] of the Czuba house and rental space and negligently recommended that [Shaheen] rent the living space in the Czuba house from his brother,” according to Shaheen’s lawsuit.

Daniel Czuba declined to comment through a representative at Daniel and Associates Real Estate. The company did not respond to a message submitted through its website.

Shaheen’s lawsuit also claims Mary Czuba and Discerning Property Management were also aware of Joseph Czuba’s tendencies and prejudices, which made the Oct. 14 incident “reasonably foreseeable.”

The lawsuit claims all defendants in the case were “indifferent and failed to warn” her about Joseph Czuba’s “violent proclivities, thoughts, plans and nature.”

An attorney for Mary Czuba in Shaheen’s case did not respond to a call and message. Mary Czuba filed for divorce following the Oct. 14 incident that led to Wadee’s death, but the case is no longer publicly viewable.

Edward Anderson, the attorney for Discerning Property Management, said he is reviewing the new lawsuit and would not comment beyond what was already filed in his motion to dismiss the original case from Shaheen’s ex-husband.

Anderson’s motion argued the company has no connection or control over Joseph Czuba and his actions were not “reasonably foreseeable.”

Shaheen’s lawsuit alleged that Joseph Czuba became obsessed with the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and routinely listens to “talk radio and other media” regarding the incident.

The lawsuit alleged Joseph Czuba told his wife that he wanted Shaheen and her son to move out of their house and feared harm from Shaheen’s “Palestinian friends.”

When Joseph Czuba allegedly told Shaheen that he “hates Muslims,” Shaheen told Mary Czuba of her interaction but she told Shaheen that her husband should move out. Mary Czuba also allegedly “made assurances that [Shaheen] and her son were safe,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit alleged the relationship between Joseph and Daniel Czuba deteriorated because of Joseph Czuba’s obsession with the Oct. 7 attack and his fear of Palestinians.

The lawsuit alleged Oct. 14, Joseph Czuba attacked and then stabbed Shaheen while she was giving Wadee a bath. Afterward, he left and Shaheen shut the door and called 911, the lawsuit alleged.

Before police arrived, Joseph Czuba allegedly returned again to attack Wadee and Shaheen was “never able to check on, or see, Wadee because of her critical medical condition and injuries,” the lawsuit said.

“The last words that [Shaheen] heard Wadee say were, ‘Oh no,’” according to the lawsuit.