WASHINGTON, Monday, October 16, 2023 (WAFA) – Police said that a man from the state of Illinois in the United States last night stabbed a Palestinian-American child 26 times and killed him, and seriously wounded his mother while chanting anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian words.
The police accused a 71-year-old resident of Plainfield, about 65 kilometers southwest of Chicago, of committing a hate crime against the 6-year-old child and his 32-year-old mother, saying that the two victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith.
A statement by the Will County Sheriff said deputies were sent to a residence in Plainfield regarding a stabbing that occurred involving a landlord and renter.
When the police officers arrived at the location, they located two victims inside the residence in a bedroom. “Both victims had multiple stab wounds to their chest, torso, and upper extremities. Both victims were transported to a local area hospital for treatment. The thirty-two (32) year-old female was transported in serious condition and had over a dozen stab wounds to her body. The female victim is recovering from her injuries at a local area hospital and is expected to survive this brutal attack,” said the statement.
As for the boy, the statement said, “The six-year-old male was transported to the hospital in critical condition. The boy later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased by a doctor. On 10/15/2023, an autopsy was conducted on the six-year-old victim. The forensic pathologist conducting the autopsy removed the knife from the abdomen of the boy at that time. The six-year-old boy was stabbed twenty-six (26) times throughout his body. The knife used in this attack is a twelve-inch serrated military-style knife that has a seven-inch blade.”
The Will County Sheriff said the suspect, Joseph M. Czuba, 71, was formally charged with First Degree Murder, Attempted First Degree Murder, Hate Crime (2 counts), and Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon. Detectives were able to determine that both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict.”
