Texas woman indicted for attempted drowning of 3-year-old Palestinian child

A Texas woman has been formally indicted by a grand jury for the attempted drowning of a three-year-old Palestinian American Muslim girl in an incident from May, which local authorities have described as racially motivated.

The suspect, 42-year-old Elizabeth Wolf, was charged by a Tarrant County grand jury last month. The indictment includes a hate crime enhancement, which could lead to a harsher sentence if Wolf is convicted, according to court records made public yesterday.

According to Reuters, Wolf faces charges of attempted capital murder of a child under ten years old and intentionally causing bodily harm to a minor. According to a police report, the attack took place in May at a swimming pool in an apartment complex.

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The suspect reportedly confronted the mother of the three-year-old girl, who was at the pool with her daughter and six-year-old son, and inquired about their origins before the attack escalated.

The police report states that the suspect attempted to drown the three-year-old girl and also tried to grab the six-year-old boy. According to the report, Wolf forced the girl’s head underwater, but the mother was able to pull her daughter to safety. Medics at the scene assessed both children and confirmed they were unharmed.

Human rights advocates have raised concerns about increasing threats against American Muslims, Arabs and Jews since the onset of Israel’s war on Gaza. Recent troubling attacks in the US include the fatal stabbing of a six-year-old Palestinian American boy in Illinois in October, the February stabbing of a Palestinian American man in Texas, and the November shooting of three Palestinian American students in Vermont.

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