Texas: Woman Charged with Attempted Murder of Muslim Children Rearrested
The woman, identified as 42-year-old Elizabeth Wolf, is accused of attempting to drown the children in a pool at an apartment complex.
Wolf, who was initially arrested in May, had her bond set at $25,000 for the attempted murder charge. However, this amount was deemed insufficient by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), prompting a reassessment and subsequent increase of the bond.
As per the conditions of the new bond, Wolf is prohibited from any form of contact with the victims or their family. Additionally, she must maintain a distance of at least 1,000 feet from the Euless apartment complex where the incident occurred.
Shaimaa Zayan, Operations Manager for CAIR-Austin, welcomed the rearrest. “The affected family and the American Muslim community are temporarily relieved to know the alleged perpetrator is in custody again," she said, according to the rights group website.
"We thank local and the federal law enforcement for the rearrest and the progress in the case investigation."
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Euless-area Representative Salman Bhojani has stated that his office is closely monitoring the ongoing investigation. "My office is aware of the recent rearrest of Elizabeth Wolf for capital murder charge," Bhojani commented.
He emphasized the community's continued distress due to the incident and expressed hope for a thorough prosecution by the Tarrant County District Attorney's office.
The incident, which took place on May 19, began with an interrogation by Wolf regarding the mother of the children’s – identified as Mrs. H – country of origin and language spoken with her children.
The situation intensified when Wolf allegedly forced the children towards the deep end of the pool. Mrs. H's attempt to save her children resulted in her headscarf being torn off and used against her. While the older child managed to escape, the younger one was rescued by an African American bystander who intervened.
CAIR-Texas had called for the case to be treated as a hate crime, pointing to the mother's Islamic headscarf as a possible motive for the attack.
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The incident left the family shaken, with Mrs. H expressing fear for her children's safety. “I don’t know where to go to feel safe with my kids,” she said then, as quoted by CAIR’s website.
“My country is facing a war, and we are facing that hate here. My daughter is traumatized; whenever I open the apartment door, she runs away and hides, telling me she is afraid the lady will come and immerse her head in the water again,” she said.
“Also, my husband’s employment is jeopardized, due to having to leave work to accompany me and our four kids whenever we have appointments and errands to run,” said Mrs. H.
This incident occurs against a backdrop of rising anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian sentiment, with CAIR reporting a significant uptick in related complaints, especially since the start of the war in Gaza.
Source: Agencies
