The Chicago landlord accused of stabbing a six-year-old Palestinian-American to death in response to the war between Israel and Hamas had a “good” relationship with the boy and his mother before his murder.
Joseph Czuba, 71, — who allegedly shouted “You Muslims must die!” in little Wadea Al-Fayoume and his mother before stabbing the boy 26 times with a 12-inch military-style knife — had no problems with the family before the brutal attack, the boy’s father, Oday El-Fayoume, told The Daily Beast .
“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,” said El-Fayoume.
“I kept thinking that my son might have run towards him before he was stabbed, trying to hug him.”
The grieving father described his son as “a little angel in human form,” and said his last words to his mother were “I’m fine.”
His ex-wife, Hanaan Shahin, 32, was stabbed more than 12 times in the attack, but is expected to survive.
The mother and son have lived downstairs in Czuba’s home for about two years, and the landlord has gone to great lengths to build a tree house and indoor play area for the boy, his father said.
Palestinian-American child Wadea Al-Fayoume, 6, was allegedly stabbed to death by her Chicago landlord. Joseph Czuba’s Family Handout allegedly shouted “You Muslims must die!” and stabbed the boy 26 times. Will County Sheriff’s Office via AP
“Everything felt like torture. The reasons that led to the murder… we had no information about that for four hours. Those four hours felt like 40 years,” said El-Fayoume.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Chicago chapter said the host “was outraged by what he saw on the news” and went to knock on the family’s door.
When the mother opened the door, he allegedly tried to strangle her and then stabbed her and her son with a knife, CAIR said.
According to Wadea’s father, Oday El-Fayoume, his son and the landlord had a “good relationship” before the stabbing. Jim Vondruska/Chicago Sun-Times via AP According to his father, Czuba had previously built a tree house and indoor play area at the home for the boy. the man.Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP
“Detectives were able to determine that the two victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect because they are Muslim and the ongoing Middle East conflict involving Hamas and Israel,” the Will County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
President Biden said he was “shocked and sickened” by the “horrific act of hate” in a statement issued Sunday.
Follow The Post’s live blog for the latest news on Hamas attacks on Israel
“The child’s Palestinian Muslim family came to America seeking what we are all seeking—a place to live, learn, and pray in peace,” the statement said. “This horrific act of hate has no place in America, and goes against our fundamental values: freedom from fear about how we pray, what we believe, and who we are.”
Meanwhile, the child’s father said he hoped his son would be remembered as a “symbol” for the Palestinian people.
Wadea’s mother was also stabbed in the attack, but is expected to survive. via REUTERS Al-Fayoume was entertained by Rep. Illinois State’s Abdelnasser Rashid at a news conference after the stabbing.Jim Vondruska/Chicago Sun-Times via AP
“People know that we get discriminated against too,” he told the outlet. “I want this to open the door for the freedom of the Palestinian people.”
Czuba was arrested at the scene and taken to hospital for treatment of a wound to his forehead. He has been charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crime and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
He is currently being held at the Will County Adult Detention facility and is awaiting his first court appearance.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
