Illinois man to appear in court on hate crime and murder charges in attack on Muslim mother and son

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — A man accused of murder, attempted murder and a hate crime in an attack on a Palestinian American woman and her son is scheduled to appear in court following his indictment by an Illinois grand jury. Joseph Czuba, 71, is expected to enter a plea at an arraignment Monday on eight counts in the indictment filed last week. He is charged in the fatal stabbing of Wadea Al-Fayoume, 6, and the wounding of Hanaan Shahin, 32, on Oct. 14. Authorities say the victims were targeted because of their Muslim faith. Shahin told police that Czuba, her landlord in Plainfield in Will County, was upset over the Israel-Hamas war and attacked them after she had urged him to “pray for peace.”