Richard Ramirez, known as the "Night Stalker," is one of the most infamous serial killers in the U.S., terrorizing California in the ’80s until an angry mostly-Latino mob caught him.
Netflix’s
Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer chronicles a year of horror for the residents of Southern California. Between 1984 and 1985, Richard Ramirez, nicknamed the “night stalker” due to his early hours MO breaking into homes and committing murder and sexual assault killed at least 13 people and committed serial rape.
The docuseries has met criticism for its portrayal of the violence, including its use of graphic crime scene photos and slow-motion blood splatter, which some have found “tabloid-esque.”
Ramirez was arrested for the crimes in August 1985, having committed his first murder the previous year and at the age of 25. The arrest was made possible by details given to police by Inez Erickson, who Ramirez attacked and raped. Erickson identified Ramirez leaving her home in an orange Toyota station wagon. The vehicle was soon found alongside Ramirez’s fingerprints. He was identified by bystanders and soon after arrested.
FAIRFIELD-SUISUN, CALIFORNIA
Timeline: Night Stalker Richard Ramirez’s L.A. reign of terror and its aftermath [Los Angeles Times :: BC-VID-NIGHT-STALKER-TIMELINE:LA]
Reports of his brutality left a generation of Angelenos in fear when night fell.
Under cover of darkness in 1985, Richard Ramirez went on a months-long spree of murder, sexual assaults and other crimes that spread terror and anxiety throughout the Southland. Monterey Park, Whittier, Arcadia, Rosemead and Monrovia no suburban window felt safe from his intrusion. His reign of terror yielded many monikers, including the Walk-In Killer and the Valley Intruder. But the Night Stalker would ultimately become synonymous with his modus operandi.
A new Netflix documentary chronicles the manhunt for the Night Stalker who killed 13 people in California in the 1980s and how he was finally caught by his poor dental hygiene.
Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer focuses on the events that led to the eventual arrest of Richard Ramirez.
Between June 1984 and August 1985 the serial killer carried out a series of violent crimes which at first seemed random and left many believing they were the work of multiple people.
He broke into homes and assaulted residents and in some cases kidnapped and molested children before letting them go.