(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Jury selection begins Monday in the trial of a Plainfield landlord charged with the death of a Palestinian American boy.
Joseph Czuba, 73, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery and two counts of committing a hate crime.
Prosecutors say he stabbed 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi to death and injured the boy's mother Hanan Shaheen back in October of 2023.
According to prosecutors, Czuba was radicalized by conservative commentary around the war in Gaza and believed Shaheen was going to call Palestinian friends to come and harm him.
Wadee’s family has also filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Czuba, his wife, his brother, and their property management companies.
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