Elizabeth Wolf, 42, was arrested in May after trying to drown the child at an apartment complex pool in Euless, a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth, reportedly “because she was Muslim.” The girl’s six-year-old brother was also injured during the incident.
Three months later, a Tarrant County grand jury charged Wolf with attempted capital murder of a person under the age of 10 and intentionally causing bodily injury to a child. The indictment, filed on August 15, includes a hate crime enhancement, which could increase her sentence if convicted.
According to investigators, Wolf was allegedly intoxicated at the time. She approached a hijab-wearing woman, identified as Mrs. H, at the pool, making racist comments and questioning the origins of her family and whether the children were hers.
Wolf then tried to grab the six-year-old boy, scratching his finger. When the mother rushed to help him, Wolf grabbed the three-year-old girl and held her underwater. Mrs. H managed to rescue her daughter, who was coughing up water and calling for help.
Local medics cleared the children at the scene, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) confirmed that a bystander helped rescue the girl. The children are reportedly safe but severely traumatized.
As police handcuffed Wolf, she allegedly shouted at a witness, threatening to kill Mrs. H and her family. Mrs. H also recounted that Wolf had torn off her hijab and physically assaulted her, preventing her from saving her daughter.
In a statement, Mrs. H expressed her distress: “We are American citizens, originally from Palestine, and I don’t know where to feel safe with my kids. My daughter is traumatized… whenever I open the door, she hides, fearing the lady will return.”
She added that her husband’s job is at risk due to needing to accompany the family for errands and appointments amid ongoing concerns for their safety.
