Plainfield Man Accused Of Stabbing Child 26 Times Faces New Judge

JOLIET, IL — Plainfield first-degree murder defendant Joseph Czuba made his first appearance before Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak on Monday morning at a hearing that lasted only about five minutes.

The judge granted both of Assistant Will County State's Attorney Mike Fitzgerald's filings against Czuba, who is charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the killing of little Wadee Alfayoumi and the stabbing of Wadee's mother, Hanan Shaheen.

Fitzgerald's filings noted that the Will County Sheriff's police seized several personal items of Shaheen's that "she needs returned to her to function in her everyday life."

Items include two Social Security cards, three debit cards, one credit card, her car keys, a purse, an unknown amount of cash, two cell phones, two medical insurance cars, a food stamp Link card, a ring and her makeup.

Also, Fitzgerald asked Judge Bertani-Tomczak to change Czuba's pretrial hearing from Jan. 8 to Jan. 3 so that the homicide victim's father's family can attend.

Czuba's criminal defense attorney George Lenard did not object to either motion filed by the prosecution. Lenard also asked the judge to set a pretrial hearing for Nov. 16 as it relates to obtaining additional discovery from the prosecution. The October murder on Plainfield Road was investigated by the Will County Sheriff's Office.

For Monday's hearing for Czuba, Judge Bertani did not allow any cameras in Courtroom 502, her bailiff notified Joliet Patch's editor prior to the start of the proceedings.