In Joliet, Illinois, the mother of a 6-year-old Muslim boy who was tragically stabbed to death testified in court on Tuesday in the trial of the alleged murderer.
Hanan Shaheen was also seriously injured in the 2023 south suburban attack.
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Opening statements started the day Tuesday in the trial of 73-year-old Joseph Czuba, who is accused in the alleged hate crime attack.
Shaheen testified that days after Hamas attacked Israel, Czuba’s attitude changed toward them.
“He told me, ‘your people are killing people and babies in Israel. Muslims are not welcome here.’ I told him, ‘pray for peace,'” she said.
Czuba and his wife rented part of their unincorporated Plainfield home to the mother and son for two years.
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She told jurors despite Czuba’s comments for her to move out, Czuba’s wife, Mary, said Shaheen and her son could stay.
Jurors heard the 911 calls Shaheen made on Oct. 14, 2023.
Shaheen testified Czuba pushed her to the ground, and stabbed her with a knife, saying, “you devil Muslim, you must die.”
She said she struggled with the man.
“I’m holding his hand, but while I’m holding him, I am getting cuts on my chest, my neck, my face,” Shaheen said in court.
Shaheen said, at one point Czuba stopped, and she stabbed him. But then, lying on the ground, she was stabbed more times on her back and neck.
Shaheen testified her 6-year-old son saw all of this, and Czuba spoke to Wadee Alfayoumi.
“He told me, ‘Wadee, I will take care of you. Mary and I will raise you. Don’t tell people I killed your mom,'” she recounted. “I felt like this was the end. In that moment, I felt like I was going to die.”
When Czuba appeared to leave, Shaheen called 911 from the bathroom.
And when she heard him return, she locked the door. Then, she heard her son.
“I started hearing my son screaming, screaming, screaming, ‘oh no, stop,'” Shaheen said.
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In the 911 call, Shaheen is heard telling the dispatcher, “he’s killing my baby.”
During the opening statements, Assistant Will County State’s Attorney Michael Fitzgerald informed the jury that testimony from police officers, a medical examiner, and a DNA expert would be presented during the trial. He also mentioned that the murder weapon had been discovered inside the boy’s body.
Czuba is charged with murder and attempted murder for allegedly attacking his tenants.
He is also charged with hate crimes.
The boy died from his injuries, after being stabbed 26 times, and his mother was critically injured.
One of Czuba’s attorneys, Kylie Blatti, told jurors in opening statements there are holes in the state’s case and missing evidence, and there is not enough to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jurors also saw police bodycam video of the bloody scene. The video that shows Alfayoume without clothes with a knife in his torso was not shown in open court.
Alfayoume’s family did not want to comment on the trial Tuesday.
Prosecutors also did not comment.
Twelve jurors and three alternates were selected for the trial Monday at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet.
The Will County judge will allow statements Czuba allegedly made to a Will County sheriff’s sergeant during the trial. The conversation allegedly took place inside a police vehicle.
Czuba has pleaded not guilty.
The trial is expected to last one week.
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