CHICAGO (CBS) — CHICAGO (CBS) — A beloved grandmother was carjacked and murdered in front of her own adult son in Hegewisch early Monday morning, and police have called the killers cowards.
As CBS 2’s Charlie De Mar reported, the Southeast Side community came together Monday night to mourn Yvonne Ruzich, who was murdered at the very spot she loved outside the convenience store where she worked.
Ruzich was a staple at this Baltimore Food, Deli & Liquor, 13322 S. Baltimore Ave. People with whom De Mar spoke Monday night said their morning coffee always came with a conversation with Ruzich — known in the neighborhood as “Gramma Jo.”
“You took a wonderful person away from a lot of people,” said Ruzich’s stepdaughter, Holly Ruzich.
Yvonne Ruzich was remembered Monday night by her stepdaughter, along with dozens of friends, family, and customers who regularly shopped at the Hegewisch store.
“It’s hurting real bad,” said Holly Ruzich.
Surveillance video from around 4:30 a.m. shows Yvonne Ruzich parked – getting ready to go into work and talking to one of her sons through the window of his car — when another vehicle pulls up. Two people get out of that car and immediately start shooting at Yvonne Ruzich.
Her son was able to drive off. Ms. Ruzich accelerated down the street, but crashed, and a witness said the men came back and shot her again.
“You should be ashamed of yourself – and anybody who’s hiding your dirty little secret right now should be ashamed of themselves too,” said Yvonne Ruzich’s daughter, Karla Ruzich.
“How many of us came in the morning for coffee and she was in there?” said Ald. Sue Sadlowski Garza (10th).
Ald. Garza was not only mourning one of her constituents. Yvonne Ruzich was a family friend.
“I’ve known you guys for a long time,” Ald. Garza said. “Yvonne always brought a smile to people’s face.”
The two men seen in the surveillance video got away. On Monday night, Chicago Police echoed the families’ message to the shooter.
“I can’t say it any better than this – they were cowards who did this,” said Chicago Police South Chicago (4th) District Cmdr. Robert Rubio.
Family said Yvonne Ruzich worked for more than two decades for the Department of Streets and Sanitation.
A $2,000 reward has been put up for information leading to an arrest, and police also asking people in the neighborhood to check their surveillance videos for any video that may help in this case.