Illinois
Illinois landlord to be sentenced in hate crime that left 6-year-old Palestinian American boy dead
JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois landlord found guilty of a vicious hate crime that left a 6-year-old Muslim boy dead and wounded his mother days after the start of the war in Gaza in 2023 was due in court Friday for sentencing.
A jury convicted 73-year-old Joseph Czuba in February of murder and hate crime charges in the fatal stabbing of Wadee Alfayoumi, who was Palestinian American, and the wounding of his mother, Hanan Shaheen. The family had been renting rooms in Czuba’s home in Plainfield, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from Chicago, in 2023 when the attack happened.
Central to prosecutors’ case was harrowing testimony from the boy’s mother, who said Czuba attacked her before moving on to her son, insisting they had to leave because they were Muslim. Prosecutors also played the 911 call and showed police footage. Czuba’s wife, Mary, whom he has since divorced, also testified for the prosecution, saying he had become agitated about the Israel-Hamas war, which had erupted days earlier.
Police said Czuba pulled a knife from a holder on a belt and stabbed the boy 26 times, leaving the knife in the child’s body. Some of the bloody crime scene photos were so explicit that the judge agreed to turn television screens showing them away from the audience, which included Wadee’s relatives.
“He could not escape,” Michael Fitzgerald, a Will County assistant state’s attorney, told jurors at trial. “If it wasn’t enough that this defendant killed that little boy, he left the knife in the little boy’s body.”
The jury deliberated for 90 minutes before returning a verdict. Czuba is eligible for a minimum prison sentence of 20 to 60 years or life, according to the Will County state’s attorney’s office.
Prosecutors declined to comment ahead of Friday’s hearing and have not said what sentence they will seek. Illinois does not have the death penalty.
The attack renewed fears of anti-Muslim discrimination and hit particularly hard in Plainfield and surrounding suburbs, which have a large and established Palestinian community. Wadee’s funeral drew large crowds and Plainfield officials have dedicated a park playground in his honor.
Czuba did not speak during the trial. His defense attorneys argued that there were holes in the case. His public defender, George Lenard, has not addressed reporters and declined comment ahead of the sentencing.
Shaheen had more than a dozen stab wounds and it took her weeks to recover.
She said there were no prior issues in the two years she rented from the Czubas, even sharing a kitchen and a living room.
Then after the start of the war, Czuba told her that they had to move out because Muslims were not welcome. He later confronted Shaheen and attacked her, holding her down, stabbing her and trying to break her teeth.
“He told me ’You, as a Muslim, must die,” said Shaheen, who testified in English and Arabic though a translator.
Police testified that officers found Czuba outside the house, sitting on the ground with blood on his body and hands.
Separately, civil lawsuits have been filed over the boy’s death, including by his father, Odai Alfayoumi, who is divorced from Shaheen and was not living with them. The U.S. Department of Justice also launched a federal hate crimes investigation.
The high school football season around the country has wrapped up and with that comes honors for coaches and players from the 2025 season. One state out of the Midwest region that is starting to produce some impressive talent and teams from around the country is Illinois high school football.
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state finals ended a few weeks ago and we decided to get right to it when it comes to end of the year honors.
We continue into the Prairie State of Illinois as Rivals looked through the season and selected award nominees from this past season. Who were the best players for the 2025 Illinois high school football season, though?
Rivals give you the Illinois high school football honorees for the 2025 season.
Player of the Year: Israel Abrams, QB, Montini Catholic
There was no player more instrumental to his team’s success in Illinois than 2027 four-star quarterback Israel Abrams was to Montini Catholic. The junior signal caller could match up with the best of ’em as Abrams had himself a season to remember as he led the Broncos to the IHSA’s Class 4A state championship. On the season, Abrams finished the season completing 233 of 340 passes for 4,072 yards and 40 touchdowns to just six picks. Abrams was also the team’s third leading rusher, going for 224 yards on 82 attempts and scoring 10 touchdowns. A scary thought for Illinois high school defensive coordinators is they have one more year to try and scheme up on how to stop the quarterback.
Offensive Player of the Year: Trae Taylor, QB, Carmel Catholic
One of the state’s top offensive play makers all season long was the Trae Taylor (Nebraska commit) for Carmel Catholic. Taylor is coming off a tremendous junior campaign for the Corsairs, with the quarterback 81 percent of his passes (205 of 251) for 3,571 yards, 38 touchdowns and a mere three interceptions this past 2025 season while adding 666 and 12 scores on the ground. The junior signal caller led Carmel Catholic an 8-3 record after losing to St Charles North, 26-23, in the IHSA Class 7A playoffs. Taylor’s arguably best performance of the season came in a 55-54 loss to Montini Catholic where he completed 25 of 36 attempts for 505 yards and five touchdowns. Taylor also got it done on the ground in that same game, rushing for an additional three scores and 66 yards.
Defensive Player of the Year: Carmelow Reed, DL, Morgan Park
The 6-foot-6, 245-pound trench monster was just that for opposing offensive linemen as Morgan Park’s Carmelow Reed made life difficult for 48 minute on the opposition. Reed, who has officially signed with Ole Miss, helped Morgan Park reach the Class 5A playoffs as the Broncos finished the 2025 campaign with a 9-2 record. For Reed, he was undoubtedly one of the top defensive players in the state as the defensive lineman tallied 66 total tackles, 18 of them went for a loss, 10 sacks and also blocked three field goals.
Coach of the Year: Matt Battaglia, Fenwick
We close out the awards by giving this last one to Fenwick head coach Matt Battaglia. Playing for the state’s Class 6A state championship against a loaded and once nationally ranked East St. Louis bunch, the Fenwick Friars weren’t given too much of a chance to upset the Flyers heading in. Well, the unthinkable would occur, led by Battaglia and his staff, as Fenwick was able to pull off the upset of East St. Louis, 38-28, for the 6A title. Fenwick finished the season with an 11-3 record, which is a seven-win improvement from just a couple years ago when the Friars went 4-5 in 2023. With a state championship in hand, this validated Battaglia being given the Illinois Coach of the Year honors.
For Illinois high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Prairie State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the Illinois high school football excitement across the state.
WILL COUNTY, IL — A person of interest was taken into custody Sunday in connection with a shooting that prompted a shelter-in-place and a SWAT response in Homer Glen, according to police.
Sheriff’s deputies responded around 8:30 a.m. to a home in the 16100 block of Twin Oak Court, where a neighbor heard shots fired, police said. Responding deputies also heard shots coming from the home, set up a perimeter and notified residents to shelter in place, according to police.
A SWAT team and crisis negotiators responded to the area and the person was taken into custody by about 9:45 a.m., police said.
A man was taken into custody early Saturday morning after police said a woman was found shot in the head in Chesterton, Illinois.
Chesterton police said their officers, along with Porter County Sheriff’s deputies, responded to the 100 block of South 18th Street around 2:33 a.m. for a report of a shooting at a two-story, multi-unit apartment.
Upon arrival, they found a woman of unknown age with a gunshot wound to her head, but she was alert and able to communicate with responding officers, Chesteron police said. She was taken to a regional trauma center in serious condition.
The department said they were unable to contact residents in the building, and they noticed lights being turned off on the second floor of the building.
Porter County SWAT Team was requested to the scene and conducted a tactical entry of the residence with a search warrant, and arrested a man who was then turned over to Chesterton detectives.
The department also said that multiple witnesses were found and taken in for questioning.
The man is being held at the Porter County Jail on preliminary charges related to the incident. No formal charges were issued, but the department said those will be announced at a later time following a review.
Police said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
No further information was immediately available.
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