A hate crime investigation has been requested by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) after a Texas woman allegedly attempted to drown two children in an apartment pool. Elizabeth Wolf, 42, was charged with attempted capital murder, injury to a child, and public intoxication following the May 19 incident in Euless, Texas.
According to court records, Wolf spent three days in jail before making bail. Witnesses and the children’s mother, a Palestinian woman who wears a hijab, reported that Wolf approached them, asking where they were from and making racial statements. The mother and her 6-year-old son were targeted, with Wolf allegedly grabbing the child and forcing the mother’s 3-year-old daughter underwater. A good Samaritan and the mother intervened to save the child, during which Wolf reportedly tore off the mother’s headscarf.
The mother’s name has not been released. The district attorney will decide whether Wolf will face hate crime charges. The Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of CAIR is advocating for state and federal authorities to investigate the incident as a hate crime. The organization shared a statement from the mother, who expressed feeling unsafe with her children due to the incident and the ongoing conflict in Palestine. CAIR has received over 3,500 complaints since Israel launched its war in Gaza in October. Wolf’s defense attorney did not comment on the incident.
