The Chicago landlord accused of brutally stabbing a 6-year-old Palestinian-American tenant to death was paranoid that Muslims were planning mass acts of violence after listening to a conservative radio show, court documents show.
Joseph Czuba, 71, appeared in court on Monday, two days after he was charged with murdering Wadea Al-Fayoume and attacking his mother, 32-year-old Hanan Shaheen, in the apartment they rented from her.
During the 45-minute hearing, prosecutors told the court how Czuba had listened intently to radio coverage of violence in Israel, and that he was convinced his Muslim tenants would harm him as part of a “day of jihad” called for by Hamas leaders.
The host “believed he was in danger and [Shaheen] would call his Palestinian friends to come and hurt them,” Will County assistant state’s attorney Michael Fitzgerald said, Czuba’s wife told investigators, according to the Chicago Sun Times.
After there were no terrorist attacks on jihad Friday, Czuba’s wife said she became convinced the “grid” would go down on Saturday and even went to the bank to withdraw $1,000 in cash while grumbling that she wanted their Muslim tenants out.
A public defender assigned to Czuba did not provide evidence to support his fears about Shaheen and her son.
Joseph Czuba, 71, appeared in court Monday, two days after being charged with murdering 6-year-old AP Wadea Al-Fayoume when she was stabbed 26 times in her home on SaturdayFamily Handout
The mother told investigators her last day with her son began like any other. The two of them were having breakfast together when Czuba knocked on their door.
“Czuba is an angry person, but, on the day in question, he came home and said he was angry with him for what happened in Jerusalem,” prosecutor Shaheen told investigators.
“Let’s give peace a chance,” he told Czuba, before he lunged at him with a military-style serrated knife.
Shaheen had to lock herself in the bathroom while she called 911, but was unable to reach her son in time to get him to safety, court documents show.
When officers arrived just before noon, they found Wadea dead in bed with 26 stab wounds.
Czuba was found on his back in the yard with a large knife in his belt and another knife lying on the ground next to him, prosecutors said.
Shaheen was taken to hospital in critical condition with more than a dozen stab wounds, but is expected to make a full recovery.
Wadea Al-Fayoume lives with her mother, Hanan Shaheen, 32, in an apartment they rent from CzubaAP Wadea’s father, Oday El-Fayoume, said Czuba previously built a tree house and playpen for his son at his homeAP
Wadea’s father said the killing was shocking, especially since Czuba previously had such a good relationship with the family that he built a treehouse and playpen on his property.
“My ex-wife and son know him, and they have a good relationship. It’s hard to imagine this man holding a knife to stab my son,” Oday El-Fayoume told the Daily Beast.
His father said his son was “a little angel in human form,” and the last thing he told his mother before he died was “I’m fine.”
Wadea, who was born in the United States, was buried on Monday.
Czuba will remain in jail until his next court date on October 30, the judge said on Monday.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
