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.
Illinois
Catching up with Illinois State after huge playoff upset victory
Illinois State Redbirds pulled off the comeback of the year and maybe all-time this past Saturday.
ISU, who were 23-point underdogs, rallied from 14 points down with three minutes to go to knock off No. 1-ranked and defending champion North Dakota State in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs in Fargo, North Dakota.
Quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse overcame five interceptions to engineer the huge 29-28 upset.
Head coach Brock Spack and Arlington Heights receiver Dan Sobkowicz, who caught the game-winning touchdown, discussed the team’s spirit following the win.
“I had 142 texts, and so, I answered every single one of em, how about that. Either with a fist bump or thumbs up or ‘thank you very much,’ I answered every one,” Spack said. “Our players persevered, and they never lost. You can tell this is a different vibe. They just never lost confidence that they were going to win. To have five turnovers, and to be able to survive that and win, and beat these guys like that is amazing.”
“Obviously, it was a really good scrambler,” Sobkowicz said. “Just kinda wanted to make something happen, I mean, he found me, and, uh, obviously, I didn’t really think much of it, honestly, at that play right after, but words can’t really explain how much that meant. I think it’s just a cool moment that I’m probably never going to forget.”
The Redbirds will play UC-Davis Saturday in the FCS quarterfinals.
Illinois
Pritzker signs new Illinois law seeking to limit immigration enforcement at schools, daycares
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has officially signed into a law a bill that would seek to limit immigration enforcement at colleges, daycares, courthouses and more.
Under provisions of HB 1312, which was signed into law Tuesday, enhanced protections are expected to be put into place on those institutions, as well as at hospitals and other entities.
Pritzker signed the bill after “Operation: Midway Blitz” resulted in more than 3,000 arrests around the Chicago area this year, with more immigration enforcement expected as the Trump administration continues to step up its efforts.
“Dropping your kid off at day care, going to the doctor, or attending your classes should not be a life-altering task,” Pritzker said at the bill signing ceremony. “Illinois, in the face of cruelty and intimidation, has chosen solidarity and support.”
One piece of the bill prohibits schools from threatening to disclose the citizenship or immigration status of any employee, student or contractor without consent.
Schools will also be required to provide information on their websites about who employees and students should speak to if an immigration enforcement agent attempts to enter a school campus or engages in “nonconsensual interactions with members of the school community,” according to the text of the bill.
“Education allows our communities to progress and build a better life – an essential part of the American dream. Pursing an education is a right that should not be threatened by armed, masked federal agents on our college campuses,” said State Sen. Karina Villa in a statement. “Many immigrant parents dream of the day their child graduates from college. That goal is what makes all of their sacrifices and labor worth it. In Illinois, we will defend that dream.”
Campus communities will also be notified when immigration enforcement activity occurs on campus, according to Sen. Villa’s office.
The bill also creates a “Court Access, Safety and Participation Act,” which aims to protect residents from civil arrest if they are attending a state court proceeding, or if they are going to or returning from such a proceeding. That includes if a party is a plaintiff or defendant in a case, or if they are a witness or accompanying a participant in the proceeding.
The bill permits individuals to seek civil damages against anyone violating that provision of the law.
Hospitals under the act will be required to adopt and implement policies regarding interactions between law enforcement agents and patients, and will be required to post those policies on their websites.
Immigration enforcement agents will also be required to present valid identification and signed judicial warrants to access licensed daycare centers under provisions of the act, according to officials.
Finally, the bill allows residents to file lawsuits against immigration enforcement agents who violate the state or U.S. Constitutions, according to the text of the legislation.
The bill takes immediate effect in the state of Illinois.
Illinois
Illinois making progress shrinking gender pay gap, but disparities persist: report
CHICAGO (WLS) — A new report shows Illinois is making progress shrinking the gender pay gap, but disparities in pay still persist, particularly for some minority workers.
Professor Robert Bruno, director of labor education and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, joined ABC7 Chicago Monday to talk more about it.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
He discussed the study and how it was conducted, its key findings about the gender pay gap, what was learned about minority workers and why some industries were more impacted than others.
SEE ALSO: Bronzeville celebration focuses on pay gap between Black women, white men
He also touched on his recommendations from the report.
“Ensuring pay equity does more than protect justice in the workplace,” Bruno said. “Paying workers fairly regardless of race or gender contributes to a lifetime of higher earnings.”
Visit https://lep.illinois.edu/project-for-middle-class-renewal for more information.
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