Man indicted in Wheeling home invasion, assault
Cook County prosecutors announced indictments Thursday against a 32-year-old Chicago man who they say sexually assaulted a woman late last month in Wheeling.
Matthew Schaffer, of the 2000 block of Shakespeare Lane, has been charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual assault, home invasion, armed robbery and residential burglary in the early morning attack on the woman, who lives out of state and was in the area visiting family. Except for residential burglary, each of the charges is a class X felony that carries a sentence of six to 30 years.
Authorities say Schaffer wore rubber gloves and pantyhose to conceal his face and brandished a handgun, later determined to be a fake, when he broke into the home about 4 a.m. May 23. He held the gun to the woman's head, handcuffed her and sexually assaulted her, prosecutors said. They also say he took the woman's money, jewelry and watch, which he tried to sell at a Chicago pawnshop the next day. Police recovered the watch, which they linked to Schaffer. DNA found at the scene also matched Schaffer, police said.
Schaffer - who has no prior record and had recently moved from his parents' house in Highland Park - was arrested in early June. Police found a handgun in Schaeffer's car. He remains in Cook County Jail on a $4 million bail.
If Schaffer is convicted of aggravated criminal sexual assault and at least one other class X felony, he faces between 12 and 30 years in prison.
His arraignment is set for July 6 in Rolling Meadows.