Gunman who shot postal worker in Elk Grove pleads guilty, faces long prison term
Cameron Ruebusch might have thought he'd lucked upon an easy score on New Year's Eve 2018, when he stepped out of his Elk Grove Village home and spotted a delivery van parked outside.
Instead, Ruebusch is looking at a lot of hard time - or even a life sentence - for what happened next.
Ruebusch, 25, pleaded guilty in federal court last week to charges of attempted second-degree murder of a United States employee and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, both stemming from a botched robbery attempt that ended with a postal worker, Stephen Casazza Jr., shot in the back and wrist.
The shooting shocked a quiet Elk Grove neighborhood as its residents were preparing to celebrate the arrival of 2019 and led to a two-day manhunt that ended with Ruebusch's capture at a hideout in Hanover Park.
Court documents filed as part of Ruebusch's plea deal detail the shooting and his eventual arrest.
According to papers, Ruebusch walked outside his home in the 200 block of West Brantwood Avenue about 6 p.m. to find an unmarked delivery van parked out front. He pulled out a Glock 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun and used it to tap on the front passenger window, authorities said.
The postal worker behind the wheel, Stephen Casazza Jr. of Arlington Heights, tried to drive away, but Ruebusch opened fire. One bullet passed through the back of Casazza's right shoulder and into his wrist, court records state.
Casazza Jr., a postal employee for nearly two years at the time, underwent four hours of surgery and received some 40 units of blood in the process, his father told the Daily Herald in January 2019. He sustained major nerve damage, especially in his hand, his dad said.
Ruebusch was quickly identified as a suspect - in part, thanks to a family member who told police at the scene that the shooting "sounds like something (he) would do." During the next 30 hours, Ruebusch was tracked to a residence near Schick Road and Bell Drive in Hanover Park.
What's next?
Ruebusch remains in federal custody as the U.S. Probation Office prepares a presentence investigation report that will take a deep dive into his life history, analyze the impact his crime had on the victim and detail the sentencing options for the court.
According to the plea deal, the charges carry a minimum 10-year prison term and a maximum of life behind bars. However, a preliminary calculation included in the plea documents pin his most likely sentence at 14 to 17½ years. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 30 before Judge Matthew F. Kennelly.
Co-defendant update
Ruebusch wasn't the only suburban man charged in connection with the postal worker's shooting.
In April 2019, about four months after the botched heist, a federal grand jury indicted Ronald J. Beyer Jr., 25, of Mount Prospect, as an accessory after the fact. Court documents say Beyer saw Ruebusch shoot the postal worker, then drove him from the crime scene, let him use his cellphone and gave him a change of clothes, all in an effort to help Ruebusch avoid capture.
The U.S. attorney's office last summer agreed to defer prosecution of Beyer for 18 months as part of a pretrial diversion program.
Under the agreement, if Beyer keeps out of trouble, holds down a regular job, stays off illegal drugs and doesn't possess a firearm, the feds will move to dismiss the indictment.
Beyer is due back in court Jan. 14, 2021, for a status hearing on his case.
Where not to steal
A 25-year-old Addison man was arrested Sept. 3 on a charge of theft.
What was he accused of taking? A package.
Where from? The lobby of the Addison Police Department.
Domonic C. Weaver is accused of taking an Amazon package Aug. 18 containing an inkjet cartridge, which belonged to the village's finance department, according to DuPage County court records.
Back to juvenile court?
A teenager facing armed robbery and carjacking charges as an adult in DuPage County is asking to have his case transferred back to juvenile court.
In a motion filed this week, Martavious Robinson's lawyer argues that DuPage County Judge Brian Jacobs was wrong to order the teen - 17 when he was charged, but now 18 - be tried as an adult.
Among the reasons listed by senior assistant DuPage County public defender Jennifer Marshalek: the judge erred in finding there was probable cause for the charges; he didn't consider Robinson's mental health and drug use; he did consider hearsay testimony from a co-defendant; and information presented about the teen's criminal history was incorrect.
She also notes a forensic clinical psychologist and the staff of the Kane County Juvenile Justice Center - where Robinson was held - believe he is capable of being rehabilitated by his 21st birthday. Robinson has received good grades and maintained a top ranking for good behavior while in custody, she added.
Robinson is charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking and armed robbery stemming from events in December.
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