The location where Richard Ramirez was arrested

This is the location where Richard Ramirez was arrested.

It is situated outside of 3732 Hubbard Street in Los Angeles, California.

The serial killer was apprehended after a group of residents chased him and beat him. Shortly afterwards, a police officer arrived at the scene and managed to separate him from the angry crowd.

The Night Stalker

Ramirez, who was nicknamed "the Night Stalker," murdered at least 14 people during the mid-1980s. Between June 1984 and August 1985, his highly publicized home invasion spree terrorized the city of Los Angeles.

The police finally caught a break in the case after the 25-year-old mistakenly left a fingerprint on a vehicle that he had stolen. Although he had wiped the interior down before abandoning it, it seems as though he overlooked a print on the rear-view mirror.

Fortunately, his fingerprints were already in the system, as he had been arrested for a separate car theft eight months earlier. Consequently, the authorities were able to identify him and release his mugshot to the press.

Ramirez arrives back in Los Angeles after visiting his brother

At around 7.25 a.m. on August 31st, 1985, Ramirez arrived back in Los Angeles after taking a one-day bus trip to Tucson, Arizona, to see his brother. Unbeknownst to him, he was now a wanted man whose face had been plastered all over the media.

That morning, an LAPD surveillance team was waiting at the Greyhound bus depot in case he showed up. By that stage, investigators had learned that he was a frequent bus user who rented a locker at the station.

The undercover officers focused their attention on the outbound lanes because they suspected that he might attempt to flee the city. However, they didn't foresee a scenario in which he might return to LA.

As a result, Ramirez was able to casually walk out of the terminal, completely unaware that he was now the most wanted person on the west coast.

Realization

After leaving the bus station, he walked over to Mike's Liquor Store on Towne Avenue, where he purchased coffee and a pastry.

While he was standing at the cash register, he noticed that a group of elderly Hispanic ladies at the back of the store were nervously staring at him.

Moments later, he heard one of them utter the words "the killer." At that point, he glanced over at the news rack and saw his photograph on the front cover of a Spanish-language newspaper called La Opinión.

The "Night Stalker" was so shocked by this that he immediately ran out of the store and jumped onto a bus.

However, his bus trip did not last long. As he was sitting there, he realized that some of the other passengers were starting to stare at him.

At one point, he saw someone with a newspaper glancing over at him. He then watched as the passenger hopped off at the next stop and immediately walked over to the nearest payphone.

By that stage, he felt as though the world was closing in around him, as more and more people were beginning to point and stare. Consequently, he decided to get off the bus and continue on foot.

While he was zigzagging through the streets of Los Angeles, onlookers continued to recognize him and call 911. The LAPD reacted to these sightings by dispatching multiple patrol cars to each location. Helicopters were also sent into the air.

Realizing that he was in big trouble, Ramirez made the dangerous decision to run across Interstate 5 (I-5).

Richard Ramirez is arrested

After crossing the interstate, he reached Hubbard Street, where he attempted to hijack a Ford Mustang from a man named Faustino Pinon. However, Pinon wrestled with him until he eventually gave up and ran away.

Seconds later, he spotted Angelina De La Torre and demanded to have her car keys. While Ramirez was shouting at Angelina, her husband, Manuel, ran outside, grabbed a metal bar, and struck him over the head.

The blow knocked him to the ground.

Hurt, exhausted, and confused, he rose to his feet and attempted to run away. However, Manuel chased after him and struck him again. Meanwhile, local residents also joined in and began hitting him.

"The guy with the bar was telling his wife to get a gun so that he could shoot me. I didn't give a f**k at that point. I was so f**king tired. I looked down the street and I saw a Sheriff's patrol car."

Luckily for Ramirez, someone had called the police to report that a fight had broken out in the area.

When the officer arrived at the scene, he saw a badly beaten man sitting on the sidewalk. There was blood on his head, shirt, and hands. Manuel De La Torre was looming over him, clutching a metal bar.

By that stage, a crowd had gathered at the location, and word was beginning to spread that the man before them was the notorious Night Stalker.

Worried that the situation was about to spiral out of control, the officer bandaged the suspect's head, handcuffed him, and quickly placed him in the back of the patrol car. After being taken into custody, the injured and exhausted Ramirez remarked, "Thank God you came."

Meanwhile, the crowd continued to grow and circle the vehicle. Some even shouted, "Let's get him!"

When backup officers arrived and started questioning Ramirez about who he was, he collapsed on his side. After being forced to sit back up again, he angrily shouted, "It's me. It's me, man."

He then said the name that every officer wanted to hear.

"Richard Ramirez."

Photos

Photos of the street and other related images.

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