A 56-year-old security guard is facing multiple felony charges after a teenage girl told authorities he sexually assaulted her inside his car at the former Mercyhealth Rockton campus, then drove her to his home before a frantic family phone call led to a confrontation at a nearby Taco Bell. Rufus Dismuke was taken into custody after a traffic stop, and police say they found three Winchester rifle shells in his possession at the time of his arrest.
Allegations Begin in a Hospital Parking Lot
According to MyStateline, the girl told investigators she was walking through the parking lot of the former Mercyhealth Rockton campus at 2400 N. Rockton Avenue on October 25 when Dismuke stopped her and threatened to call police for trespassing. She said he then offered to let her charge her cellphone in his car, and it was inside that vehicle where she says he assaulted her, per her account to investigators.
Dismuke reportedly then drove the teen to his house, though she told authorities she could not identify where his residence was located, the station's report notes. She called a family member, who advised her to tell Dismuke she was hungry and to ask him to drive her to a Taco Bell, according to the same account. Dismuke arrived at the Taco Bell on Auburn Street around 2:45 a.m., where the family member was waiting, confronted him, and recorded the encounter on her phone, per the report. He reportedly left the area shortly after.
Arrest and Charges Follow Traffic Stop
Authorities took Dismuke into custody following a traffic stop, and he was charged with criminal sexual assault, unlawful use of weapons by a felon, criminal sexual abuse, and grooming, per the same account from MyStateline. In court records cited by the outlet, Dismuke admitted he worked as a security guard at the hospital and said he let the girl into his vehicle so she could charge her phone. He also admitted to taking her to the Taco Bell, where her family member confronted him, but he denied assaulting her or taking her to his home, according to those same court records.
Police reported finding three Winchester rifle shells in Dismuke's possession during the arrest. He has prior convictions for domestic battery and firearm possession, which under Illinois law prohibit him from owning firearms, the station's report states.
The Site's Uncertain Future
The parking lot where the alleged assault occurred sits on the grounds of the former Mercyhealth Rockton campus, a 700,000-square-foot property now in the middle of a high-profile redevelopment effort. Mercyhealth continues to operate a physician's clinic on the former campus even as the main hospital building has changed hands.
The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board voted to approve the sale of Mercyhealth's former Rockton Avenue hospital to Kingdom Authority Church, according to MyStateline. The outlet reported that the property was purchased by Melvin and Sheila Brown, pastors of the church, on September 3, after the hospital closed in July — and that it changed hands for one dollar despite a fair market value of more than $12 million. Mercyhealth intends to keep its physician clinic at the campus and maintain its REACT helicopter hangar and EMS training center there, per that reporting.
The Browns have announced plans to transform the facility into what they're calling the Unity in the Community Development Center, envisioning a hub with housing, health programs, and educational services, according to WIFR. The station reported that the buyers held a town hall to update the community on the project's status and said they already have contracts in place to cover expenses. WIFR also reported that the sale awaited final approval from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board before major renovations could begin, a timeline that differs from the board-approval account reported by MyStateline.
