REPEAT OFFENDER GETS PRISON FOR DEATH THREATS AND BATTERY BY GASSING

Defendant Kevin Ruskauff, 50, was sentenced on August 31, 2022 by the Honorable Troye Shaffer to serve twelve years, eight months in state prison after he was convicted of five felony charges, including Criminal Threats, Resisting an Executive Officer by Threat or Violence, and three charges of Battery by Gassing. Prior to the sentencing, Ruskauff had pleaded no contest to the charges and further admitted that he was previously convicted of a strike felony in 1996 for Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Personally Inflicting Great Bodily Injury on the eve of trial. 

District Attorney Jill Ravitch said “The defendant has a history of threatening and committing violent acts. Because of legislative changes, we were unable to seek a more significant sentence, but are hopeful that this term of imprisonment will provide some safety to the victims and the community at large.”

Ruskauff threatened to murder a woman and her son on September 30, 2020.  The victim in this case was also a victim in a domestic violence stalking case that occurred in 2016.    When the victim notified the police of the threats, Ruskauff threatened to kill a Petaluma Police Officer, who responded to investigate, and threatened to kill the officer’s family. A month later, on October 31, 2020, while Ruskauff was incarcerated in the Sonoma County Jail pending charges, he committed a battery on three Sonoma County corrections deputies by throwing a pitcher of liquid human excrement at them. A portion of the substance entered the eyes and mouth of one of the victims during the assault.

Ruskauff has previously been convicted of eight felonies since 1992, including Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Child Abuse, Resisting an Executive Officer, Stalking, Battery by Gassing, Threatening a School Employee, and Threatening a Judicial Officer.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Robert L. Blade, assisted by District Attorney Investigator Robyn Fuentes, and victim advocate Lucia Hernandez.