A Texas woman was sentenced to five years in prison for attempting to drown a 3-year-old Palestinian-American Muslim girl in a May 2024 incident that local police said was motivated by racial bias.
Court records and proceedings cited by CBS News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram showed Judge Andy Porter sentenced Elizabeth Wolf, 43, after she pleaded guilty to attempted murder and injury to a child. Wolf was indicted last year after the attack, which was condemned by then-President Joe Biden, and waived a trial by jury.
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
Human rights advocates note rising threats against American Muslims, Arabs and Jews since the start of Israel's assault on Gaza after a 2023 Hamas attack.
The incident occurred at an apartment complex swimming pool in Euless, Texas. Wolf argued with the mother of the 3-year-old girl. The mother was also at the pool with her 6-year-old son, and Wolf asked where they were from, a police report said.
Wolf tried to drown the 3-year-old and attempted to grab the 6-year-old, the report said. The mother pulled her daughter from the water and the children were medically cleared after medics responded.
OTHER U.S. INCIDENTS
Recent incidents raising anti-Muslim bias concerns include the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy in Illinois, the stabbing of a Palestinian-American man in Texas and a violent mob attack on pro-Palestinian protesters in California.
There was also the shooting of two Israeli visitors in Florida whom a suspect mistook for Palestinians and an assault by a pro-Israeli mob in New York City that chanted "Death to Arabs."
Incidents raising alarm over antisemitism and anti-Israeli attitudes include the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, a Colorado attack that killed one person and an arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's residence.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
