The following is a joint news release from the Naperville Police Department and the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Naperville Chief of Police Jason Arres announced Thursday that a Naperville man has been charged with an early-morning burglary at a Naperville Walgreens store.
Ronald Rueckheim, 55 (d.o.b. 9/26/1968) of the 2100 block of Sunderland Court, appeared at First Appearance Court this morning charged with one count of Burglary (Class 2 Felony) and one count of Criminal Damage to Property (Class 4 Felony). Rueckheim is currently on pre-trial detention facing Domestic Battery and Aggravated Assault charges (both Class A Misdemeanors) regarding a domestic violence incident that allegedly occurred on February 24, 2024. On February 25, 2024, Judge Angelo Kappas granted the State’s motion to detain Rueckheim pre-trial in that case.
On February 23, 2024, Naperville Police responded to the Walgreens located at 63 W. 87th Street in regard to a burglary that had occurred overnight. Following an investigation into the matter, it is alleged that at approximately 5:20AM that morning, Rueckheim entered the Walgreens with the intent to commit a theft. It is further alleged that Rueckheim broke a window at the Walgreens causing between $500 and $10,000 worth of damage and then fled the scene. After being identified as a suspect in the case, Judge George Ford issued an arrest warrant for Rueckheim on March 6, 2024. He was served with the warrant at the DuPage County Jail where he was being held on an unrelated domestic battery/aggravated assault matter.
“The fact that Mr. Rueckheim is being detained on an unrelated offense is of no consequence in this case,” Berlin said. “In this newest case, Mr. Rueckheim’s most serious charge is the forcible felony of burglary, which is a non-detainable offense under the Safe-T-Act dangerousness standard, unless there is use of force against another person. This (Thursday) morning, Judge Dieden was required by law to release Mr. Rueckheim in this case. As I said following the implementation of the Safe-T-Act, after hearing the facts and circumstances of a case, a judge, not the legislature, is in the best position to decide if pre-trial release for a defendant is appropriate. I still believe this to be the case and I continue to urge the General Assembly to amend the law and allow judges to use their discretion in every case, similar to New Jersey’s pre-trial release law. I commend the Naperville Police Department for their truly outstanding work in the identification of the defendant in this case and for their ongoing efforts in protecting our retail establishments. I thank Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Pingaj for his efforts in preparing a strong case against Mr. Rueckheim.”
“Our investigators did a great job following up on this incident, building a strong case and identifying a suspect,” said Chief Arres. “I thank them for their hard work and DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his office for their partnership in holding people accountable for crimes committed in Naperville.”
Rueckheim’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 1, 2024, for arraignment in front of Judge Michael Reidy.
Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendant’s guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
