Chicago area landlord pleads not guilty to hate crime murder of 6-year-old Palestinian boy, stabbing of boy's mother

CHICAGO (CBS)-- The Plainfield Township landlord accused of killing a Palestinian 6-year-old boy and critically hurting his mother in an alleged hate crime pleaded not guilty to all charges on Monday.

Joseph Czuba, 71, was formally indicted last week on three counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery, and two counts of hate crime. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Monday morning in Will County.

Prosecutors have said Czuba stabbed 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi 26 times, and stabbed his mother, 32-year-old Hanaan Shahin, more than a dozen times because of their religion and nationality. Wadee was laid to rest last week, and his mother remained in the hospital recovering on Monday.

Authorities have said Czuba targeted the victims because of their Muslim faith, and because of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

An attorney for Czuba has already indicated he's concerned about finding an impartial jury, pointing out that even the president has commented on the case.  

Justice Department investigating

The Justice Department has also opened an investigation into the case. The FBI is also now looking into federal hate crime charges.   

WIll County prosecutors have said Czuba wanted Shahin and her son to move out of the home they rented from him in Plainfield Township, and believed he and his wife "were in danger," because he feared Shahin "was going to call over her Palestinian friends or family to harm them."

Shahin told detectives that, on Oct. 14, Czuba knocked on her door, and the two of them got into an argument over the war between Israel and Hamas, according to the charges. Czuba told Shahin "he was angry at her for what was going on in Jerusalem," prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

When Czuba attacked Shahin with a knife, she ran to the bathroom to call 911, but was unable to get her son into the bathroom with her. While she was in the bathroom, Czuba killed her son.

According to the Will County Sheriff's Office, Czuba stabbed Shahin more than a dozen times and stabbed Wadee 26 times. The Council on American Islamic Relations said Wadee had just celebrated his birthday a couple of weeks ago. 

Landlord was "heavily interested" in Israel-Hamas war

Prosecutors said Shahin has two other children, who were later found to be with their father in Chicago, and were not at home at the time of the attack. 

Detectives also questioned Czuba's wife, who said he frequently listened to conservative talk radio, and was "heavily interested" in the conflict in the Middle East. Czuba wanted Shahin and her son to move out of the home they rented from him, and believed that he and his wife "were in danger" and that Shahin was going to "call over her Palestinian friends or family to harm them."

Czuba's public defender said he was an Air Force veteran who was honorably discharged from the military, is self-employed, owns several properties in Plainfield, and was a longtime member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Plainfield. He also has ongoing health issues due to a prognosis of prostate cancer.

He is being held at the Will County Jail as he awaits trial.