Father of Palestinian American boy fatally stabbed in Plainfield Twp. files wrongful-death lawsuit

The father of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy who was stabbed to death in Plainfield Township has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the suspect, his wife and their property management company in connection with the boy's death.

Joseph Czuba, 71, the landlord of Hanan Shaheen and her son, Wadea Al-Fayoume, is accused of targeting the two because of their Muslim faith in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.

Prosecutors say Czuba went to Shaheen's apartment in the 16000 block of Lincoln Highway and attacked them with a knife, stabbing the boy 26 times, on Oct. 14. Wadea was pronounced dead at a hospital, and his mother suffered serious injuries.

Oday Al-Fayoume, Wadea's father, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit Nov. 21 in Will County court against Czuba and his wife, Mary Czuba, and their property management company, Discerning Property Management.

"Justice comes in many forms … and there is, obviously, unbelievable loss in Wadea, but his mother also was injured seriously, and we believe that there are avenues to recover compensation for what the family's been through," said Ben Crane, an attorney representing Oday Al-Fayoume.

"This family has been through a whole lot, and if there's something this civil justice system can do to ease their burden, then we've got to figure that out," Crane said. According to the lawsuit, they are seeking "an amount necessary to fully and fairly compensate the next of kin" under the Wrongful Death Act.

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