Plainfield landlord gets over 50 years for murder of Palestinian-American boy
A Plainfield landlord has been sentenced to 53 years in prison for the Islamophobic hate crime murder of a Palestinian-American boy and the stabbing of the boy's mother.
Watch CBS News
A Plainfield landlord has been sentenced to 53 years in prison for the Islamophobic hate crime murder of a Palestinian-American boy and the stabbing of the boy's mother.
Adam Erkan, 20, of Hoffman Estates, has been charged with two counts of aggravated battery and two counts of hate crime.
Authorities say Adam Erkan traveled to DePaul University Nov. 6, 2024, distracting two students during a weekly show of support for Israel as another man attacked from behind.
Chicago police say they have a person of interest in custody in regards to two Jewish DePaul University students who were attacked on campus last year.
Max Long and Michael Kaminsky said they were attacked while showing support for Israel outside the DePaul Student Center in Lincoln Park.
Two Jewish students have filed a lawsuit against DePaul University, accusing the school of failing to protect them from what police called a hate crime on campus last November.
The boy's mother, Hanan Shaheen, who also was stabbed, took the witness stand on Tuesday.
Guilty on all charges; late Friday afternoon, a jury convicted Plainfield landlord Joseph Czuba in the hate crime murder of his 6-year-old tenant Wadee Alfayoumi, and the attempted murder of the boy's mother, Hanan Shaheen.
Jurors on Friday found Joseph Czuba guilty of murder and hate crime in the 2023 killing of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi. Prosecutors argued this attack was motivated by anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian extremism, following the escalation of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in October 2023.
A Will County jury has convicted a Plainfield landlord of all charges in the murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy and the stabbing of the boy's mother in an attack prosecutors say was motivated by his hatred of Muslims.
Will County, Illinois, prosecutors positioned a screen in a way that the jurors and judge could see but not the people watching from the gallery.
Prosecutors have said Joseph Czuba attacked his two tenants, Hanan Shaheen and her 6-year-old son, Wadee Alfayoume, because they were Muslim.
Testimony began Tuesday in the hate crime murder trial of a Plainfield, Illinois, landlord accused of killing a 6-year-old Palestinian boy, as the prosecution's star witness – the boy's mother, who also was stabbed – took the witness stand.
Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi was accused of shooting Jewish a man in a shoulder as the man walked to synagogue. Abdallahi later hanged himself in jail.
A dramatic rise in hate crimes across the nation and state is prompting representatives from different racial, ethnic, religious and gender communities to join forces.
Alexandra Szustakiewicz, 64, of Darien, Illinois, was charged with two felony hate crime counts and one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
Sidi Mohammad Abdallahi, 22, had been facing hate crime and terrorism charges in the attack in late October.
Sidi Mohammad Abdallahi, 22, was charged with shooting a man headed to synagogue in West Rogers Park in October. Abdallahi's death is believed to be a suicide.
A 64-year-old woman from Chicago's western suburbs is facing hate crime charges and accused of assaulting a Palestinian-American couple in a video that went viral.
The 64-year-old woman from Chicago's western suburbs is facing hate crime charges, accused of assaulting a Palestinian American couple in a Panera in Downers Grove. Tara Molina reports.
Over the last year, the ADL locally has tracked a 300% increase in the number of antisemitic incidents in Chicago.
The suspect in the shooting of a man walking to synagogue last week is facing hate crime and terrorism charges.
A man was shot while walking to synagogue last weekend in the area, and the suspect has now been charged with terrorism and a hate crime. Charlie De Mar reports.
Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, had already faced six counts of attempted first-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, and aggravated battery.
Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, is accused of shooting a Jewish man walking to synagogue in West Ridge last weekend, and then opening fire on police officers and paramedics. Hate crime and terrorism charges were issued against Abdallahi on Thursday, as Charlie De Mar reports.
One lucky person could get their face on a billboard with legendary actor William Shatner – and it could be you.
The Cook County State's Attorney will not be filing charges in a fatal shooting outside a bar in Lincoln Park that resulted in the bar being shut down Tuesday.
The food deserts on Chicago's South and West sides could spread even wider if seven Save A Lot grocery stores close.
The Chicago White Sox on Wednesday were set to honor Black baseball pioneers with the Double Duty Classic at Rate Field.
Iowa announced a fall exhibition game against Kansas at the Field of Dreams ballpark, where major and minor league games have been played since 2021.
The state Democratic Party is asking Wisconsin's elections commission to allow voters who already returned absentee ballots to cast new ones, after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out of the governor's race and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley rejoined it.
Speaking live on CBS News Chicago's morning news on Wednesday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson touted an improving economy and falling crime in the city and credited his administration with the success.
Republican candidate for Illinois governor Darren Bailey is calling for greater transparency over nongovernmental organizations that receive at least $10,000 in state grants by making them subject to public records and open meetings requests.
Two independent Latino candidates seeking to run for retiring U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia's seat in Congress won't appear on the ballot in November.
New search data shows "fascism" drew roughly 264,700 monthly searches nationally in 2026, but in Illinois the most-searched word definition was "bias."
Chicago remained the most bed bug-treated city in the country, according to Orkin's latest annual rankings covering a full year of residential and commercial treatment data.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week warned residents cleaning up from last month's storms to be on the lookout for scams.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed several new consumer protections into law, including a ban on junk fees.
CBS News Chicago has learned that Illinois home insurance premiums are not only higher than the nation's average, but going up faster too.
As an alternative to legalizing video gambling terminals citywide, Bally's offered to open slot machine lounges at O'Hare and Midway, saying the move would replace the $6.8 million the city budgeted from VGTs.
A new Northwestern Medicine study on long COVID shows women show more neurological symptoms than men.
A lettuce supplier to fast-food giant Taco Bell has been linked to a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people, the CDC said.
Chicago just barely made the top 20 in the American College of Sports Medicine's 2026 ranking of the country's fittest cities.
In a major turnaround in the opioid crisis, overdose deaths are falling across Chicago and Cook County.
The north Chicago suburb of Glenview became the latest Illinois municipality this week to confirm mosquitoes testing positive for the West Nile virus this year.
The food deserts on Chicago's South and West sides could spread even wider if seven Save A Lot grocery stores close.
Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois are both seeking rate increases that would raise monthly bills by as much as $28, while their parent companies seek regulatory approval to merge — a deal a consumer watchdog says would give one company control of nearly all regulated water customers in the state.
The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from several states secured a right-to-repair settlement Wednesday with agriculture equipment giant Deere & Co. — commonly known as John Deere — that requires the company to let farmers and independent shops fix their own equipment.
Chicago Soul Café opened Monday at 6248 S. St. Lawrence Ave.
The Chicago Bears this weekend said they are assessing land at Wolf Lake Terminals in Hammond, Indiana, for a possible new stadium.
Iowa announced a fall exhibition game against Kansas at the Field of Dreams ballpark, where major and minor league games have been played since 2021.
Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" is the first film shot entirely on 70mm IMAX cameras, and Cinemark Seven Bridges in Woodridge is 1 of roughly 30 theaters nationwide equipped to show it that way.
Brenda Fricker won an Academy Award for 1989's "My Left Foot," played the Pigeon Lady in "Home Alone 2" and appeared in "A Time to Kill" and "So I Married an Axe Murderer."
The actor's agent said he was providing more information following news reports "which contain inaccuracies and outright falsehoods."
New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano," died Monday at 78, his family says.
A French model recruiter who worked with Jeffrey Epstein was found dead on Monday.
Meteorologist David Yeomans has the extended forecast.
An independent autopsy commissioned by the family of Nolan Wells found his manner and cause of death to be undetermined, attorney Ben Crump announced in Chicago Wednesday.
One lucky person could get their face on a billboard with legendary actor William Shatner – and it could be you.
President Trump is threatening to bomb a bridge or power plant whenever Iran attacks a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military carried out another wave of strikes on Iranian targets for the 11th straight night.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson touted an improving economy and falling crime in the city and credited his administration with the success.
Nolan Wells, 18, was found dead just off Horn Island in Mississippi after enjoying a day out with friends on July 4.
The Cook County State's Attorney will not be filing charges in a fatal shooting outside a bar in Lincoln Park that resulted in the bar being shut down Tuesday.
One lucky person could get their face on a billboard with legendary actor William Shatner – and it could be you.
The food deserts on Chicago's South and West sides could spread even wider if seven Save A Lot grocery stores close.
Record heat and major air quality issues created by wildfire smoke were key topics as some of the top climate leaders from around the world gathered in Chicago this week for the Aspen Institute's annual climate summit.
Police say a man and a woman were last seen speaking with the victim before the shooting.
Neighbors in the Avalon Park neighborhood said their community has been plagued by squatters, weeds, rats, and water leaks – all thanks to an abandoned home that's been sitting vacant for years.
Chicago has been feeling the heat this week, with highs in the 90s the past five days, but officials are making moves to cool off some of the hottest parts of the city, specifically Chicago Park District fieldhouses where many turn to keep cool.
Gene Rush survived throat cancer, but he didn't survive a trip to the Porter County Jail over 4th of July weekend. His family said jail staff failed to provide lifesaving medical care.
The Chicago White Sox on Wednesday were set to honor Black baseball pioneers with the Double Duty Classic at Rate Field.
Iowa announced a fall exhibition game against Kansas at the Field of Dreams ballpark, where major and minor league games have been played since 2021.
A night after losing the series opener 10-3, the Rangers (51-50) finished with a season-high 18 hits and avoided falling below .500 for the first time since June 27.
Chicago collected 11 hits while improving to 23-10 in its last 33 games, bouncing back nicely after losing 8-6 in 10 innings in the series opener on Monday night.
Head coach David Braun is excited about what an intimate environment can do for his team.
The Cook County State's Attorney will not be filing charges in a fatal shooting outside a bar in Lincoln Park that resulted in the bar being shut down Tuesday.
A bar on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago's Lincoln Park community was shut down by Chicago police Tuesday morning, days after a fight broke out at a party in the bar and led to a fatal shooting.
A man was shot and wounded early Tuesday in the Wentworth Gardens public housing development just south of Rate Field.
Charges were pending Tuesday morning for a man accused of shooting a woman and a Chicago police SWAT officer in Chicago's Albany Park community the day before.
A man stabbed two tourists near the ancient Acropolis in Athens, Greece's top tourist attraction, police said.