Chicago man pleads guilty to kidnapping Postal Service mail carrier

CHICAGO - A Chicago man pleaded guilty this week to the kidnapping of a U.S. Postal Service employee in Little Village back in 2022.

Cesar Ramirez, 47, pleaded guilty to aggravated kidnapping and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Cesar Ramirez | Chicago Police Department

The backstory:

The charge stemmed from the incident on Oct. 22, 2022, when postal inspectors responded to a report of an assault and kidnapping of a letter carrier.

The on-duty, uniformed letter carrier drove a marked USPS vehicle to a gas station in the 2800 block of S. Pulaski Avenue. While inside the convenience store, Ramirez entered the USPS vehicle and hid in the back.

When the carrier returned to the vehicle, Ramirez said, "Drive or I will kill you!" She drove to a nearby parking lot, as instructed by Ramirez. He then ordered her to the back of the vehicle and tried to assault her.

The letter carrier managed to open the vehicle’s back door and escape.

Ramirez then stole the vehicle and was pursued by Chicago police before he crashed into an alley and then fled on foot.

He was arrested just days later.

What they're saying:

"This sentencing is another example of the roles postal inspectors, and our law enforcement partners play in protecting Postal Service employees and customers," said Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the USPIS. "As Postal Service employees continue to play an integral role in our communities, postal inspectors are clear in our resolve to aggressively investigate anyone who brings harm to these invaluable public servants."