Suspect in 1997 DuPage murder held on $5 million bail
The suspect in the 1997 slaying of a man near Downers Grove made his first court appearance Tuesday in the 14-year-old case.
Jose Alfredo Ruvalcaba-Quezada, 32, was being held in DuPage County jail on $5 million bail. Prosecutors said they will ask a judge to hold him without bail at a hearing Friday.
The defendant, also known as “El Cholo,” is accused of fatally shooting 39-year-old Jose J. Ortiz on Dec. 29, 1997, as the victim left his Saylor Street home in unincorporated DuPage.
The killer emerged from behind a garage and shot Ortiz in the chest as he walked to his car about 6:30 a.m., authorities said.
Ruvalcaba-Quezada was charged in 2008 but was not apprehended until his arrest last month on drunken driving charges in Kershaw County, S.C. He initially gave a false name but fingerprints confirmed his true identity, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office said Ruvalcaba-Quezada admitted in an interview he waited for Ortiz to come out of his home, then shot and killed him. The defendant waived extradition and was flown into the area late Monday, Assistant State’s Attorney Steve Knight said. Further details of the killing are expected at Friday’s hearing.
Ruvalcaba-Quezada said nothing during his brief court appearance Tuesday. He wore an orange jumpsuit with his hands shackled. Judge George Bakalis appointed a public defender.
Neighbors told the Daily Herald in 1997 they often saw Ortiz — a married father of five — leave for his factory job before dawn and arrive home at dusk. Some said they noticed a car parked around the corner from his house several times and that it appeared someone was watching him.
As it stands, Ruvalcaba-Quezada would have to post $500,000 to bond out of jail. Prosecutors said bail could be denied when there’s a strong likelihood of conviction or concern for public safety.