Illinois landlord Joseph Czuba, 71, was charged with murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery and hate crime after he allegedly stabbed a six-year-old boy to death Saturday, according to CBS News.
A distressing 911 call was made by the child’s mother at approximately 11:38 a.m., according to the Will County Sheriff’s Office. The mother, 32, claimed her landlord, Czuba, was attacking her with a knife, prompting her to run to the bathroom while making the emergency call, per the police statement. (RELATED: Black Lives Matter Leader Reportedly Charged With Hate Crime Against Catholics)
PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP HOMICIDE UPDATE https://t.co/zLpPSgQr94 pic.twitter.com/fQfKbx582c
— WC Sheriff (@WillCoSheriff) October 15, 2023
Upon arriving at the scene in southwest suburban Plainfield Township, deputies reportedly found Czuba sitting outside with a laceration on his forehead. Inside the house, they discovered the two victims, per CBS News. Initially reported as an eight-year-old, the child was found to have suffered a total 26 stab wounds, while the mother was stabbed over a dozen times, the outlet added.
The mother was transported to the hospital in serious condition while the boy was in critical condition. Despite medical efforts, the boy could not be saved, and he was pronounced dead, per the police statement. The names of the victims have not been disclosed, per CBS News.
Following treatment for his injuries, Czuba was released from the hospital and subsequently transported to the Will County Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Complex for questioning, per the outlet. While Czuba reportedly did not engage in discussions with detectives, investigators allegedly managed to establish he specifically targeted the victims because they were Muslim, a hate crime apparently driven and motivated by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.