Who is Joseph Czuba? Illinois man kills six-year-old and gravely injures mother in hate crime fueled by Israel-Hamas conflict
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
PLAINFIELD, ILLINOIS: Joseph Czuba, 71, allegedly stabbed a six-year-old to death and gravely injured the child's 32-year-old mother in what authorities believe to be a targeted attack in response to the Israel-Hamas war.
Will County Sheriff’s Office deputies found the two victims in the bedroom of a residence on October 14 while responding to a report of a stabbing involving a landlord and a renter, as per USA Today.
According to the sheriff's office, after being transported to a local hospital, the child succumbed to the multiple stab wounds, while the mother is expected to make a recovery.
After Czuba was identified as the suspect, he was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crime, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon on October 15.
"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 involving Hamas and the Israelis," stated the Will County Sheriff’s Office.
The brutal nature of Joseph Czuba's alleged hate crime
As per the sheriff's office, both victims had multiple stab wounds to their chests, torsos, and upper extremities. The autopsy apparently revealed that the boy was stabbed 26 times, while the mother had over a dozen stab wounds.
"The forensic pathologist conducting the autopsy removed the knife from the abdomen of the boy at that time," said the sheriff's office. Joseph Czuba supposedly used a 12-inch serrated military-style knife that had a seven-inch blade.
Upon arriving at the scene on the day of the tragedy, officials found him "sitting upright outside on the ground near the driveway of the residence" with a cut on his forehead. He was treated at a local hospital and then taken to Will County Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Complex for questioning by detectives.
CAIR-Chicago terms Illinois hate crime incident 'our worst nightmare'
The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations addressed the Illinois hate crime at a news conference with a family member of the victims on October 15.
CAIR-Chicago said the boy and his mother had lived on the ground floor of the residence for two years, and the suspect was their landlord. As per the organization, there were no notable issues between the victims and the landlord.
The organization stated that the suspect was "angry with what he was seeing in the news." Joseph Czuba supposedly "knocked on their door, and when (the mother) opened, he tried to choke her and proceeded to attack her with a knife, yelling 'you Muslims must die!'."
CAIR-Chicago called the incident "our worst nightmare."
President Joe Biden's issues statement on Illinois hate crime
The White House released a statement from President Joe Biden condemning the attack.
"Jill and I were shocked and sickened to learn of the brutal murder of a six-year-old child and the attempted murder of the child’s mother in their home yesterday in Illinois," read the message.
It continued, "The child’s Palestinian Muslim family came to America seeking what we all seek—a refuge to live, learn, and pray in peace. 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."
"As Americans, we must come together and reject Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry and hatred. I have said repeatedly that I will not be silent in the face of hate. We must be unequivocal. There is no place in America for hate against anyone," further added the statement.
Biden concluded, "We join everyone here at the White House in sending our condolences and prayers to the family, including for the mother’s recovery, and to the broader Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim American communities."