Illinoiis man who was convicted of 53 because of hate crimes by the 6-year-old Palestinian American boy and his mother was injured

Joliet, Ill.-a man from Illinois, was sentenced to 30 years behind bars on Friday to kill a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy, whom he stabbed days after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War in 2023.

The 73-year-old Joseph Czuba wore a red prison uniform and seemed to be thin and frail, which was a likely lifelong prison for murder and attempted murder, the judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak in Will County.

A jury in February was the landlord Czuba due to the first degree murder, tried murder, tightened battery and hate crimes for October 14, 2023, the Wadeee Alfayoumi, whose family was the tenant of the murderer.

Wade was stabbed 26 times.

Czuba also wounded the boy's mother, Hanan Shaheen, whom he had stabbed more than a dozen times in the suburb of Plainfield in Chicago in Plainfield Township.

In addition to the 30 years for Wadees killing, Zauba was hit with a 20-year prison sentence. All sentences should be carried out one after the other.

Czuba refused to speak in his own name on Friday.

The boy's great uncle, Mahmoud Yousef, said he was a grandfather figure for the victim.

“No matter what the verdict will be, it will not justify,” the only witness of the public prosecutor told the court on Friday. “On the day he was killed, his father had memories, had plans for his son.”

Yousef then turned to Czuba and said: “He had no right to take her.”

The victims had rented rooms in Czuba's house when he initiated in anti-Muslim rants after October 7, 2023, surprised attacks by the militant groups guided by Hamas, said witnesses.

The boy's mother said Czuba told her that “your people” killed the Jewish people and babies in Israel and that Muslims were not welcome in his house.

Yousef said that the murderer and his victims seemed to get along before Czuba's frame seemed to be spiral from anywhere.

“This is (a lengthy sentence) will not be enough. So for the peace of mind, Mr. Joseph,” said Yousef and turned to the killer: “Say something. Come up. Say something.”

Samira Puskar reported Joliet and David K. Li from Los Angeles County.