Expendable For A Cause.

On August 31st, 1985, the hunt for the Night Stalker ended, and the circus began.
The following is an excerpt from our book “The Appeal of the Night Stalker”. See the link at the end of this post for details.

The Capture

Richard Ramirez, travelling to Arizona and back, missed the release of his mugshot on the evening news.  Unbeknownst to him, police and the Special Investigation Section officers were staking out the Greyhound bus depot and were willing to kill him on sight. As if California were the Wild West (which some might argue that it still is), Ramirez was wanted dead or alive, but preferably dead; the SIS team is unofficially known as the ‘Death Squad’. Carrillo admitted that part of him wanted Ramirez to be killed. 

Ramirez, coming through the inbound entrance instead of ‘escaping’ through departures as expected – left the station and headed to a liquor store to buy snacks. There he saw his own face – not a lame composite- on the front of a newspaper naming him as the prime suspect, and he ran.  He jumped onto another local bus, but again his appearance drew attention from the passengers.  He felt he had no choice but to leave the bus and continue on foot, probably heading for his eldest brother Julian’s house.

Frightened and not thinking rationally, Ramirez ran across a freeway, jumped a tall soundproofing wall, vaulted over fences and traversed down alleys into the Hispanic-populated barrios of Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles.  While the Night Stalker had hitherto been a nebulous shapeshifter, once the nation was shown Richard Ramirez’s face, he was instantly recognisable in a way he never was to his alleged victims. 

Multiple people saw him.  A man watched him jump off the Santa Ana Freeway’s barrier wall and land on the hood of a car, before running down an alley.  On East 7th Street. A resident saw Ramirez “lurking” and telling his Doberman to be quiet because he was “tired”.  Ramirez then jumped the fence.  He was seen emerging from an alley on Siskiyou Street looking nervously all around him.  On South Indiana Street, he attempted to carjack a woman but was chased away, climbed up a six-foot high wall and dropped into nearby Percy Street, where again, he was recognised immediately by a woman in her garden.  He was pursued by her son, who was brandishing pruning shears.  At another house, Ramirez knocked on a door and, holding his throat, begged a woman for a drink of water.  Recognising him, the resident reacted by screaming and calling the police.

By now, police helicopters were circling above.  Finally, turning onto East Hubbard Street, Ramirez attempted to steal a car and, when this failed, he attempted to carjack another woman.  This ignited rage in neighbours who gave chase, with one vigilante ‘hero’ striking Ramirez over the head with a metal bar.  Amid the commotion, the residents did not realise they were beating up the most wanted man in the USA, until somebody shouted, “Es el matón!” (it is the killer).  The police were called, and another 25-year-old Ramirez arrived on the scene in the form of Deputy Sheriff Andres Ramirez.  He was informed by resident Manuel De La Torre that Ramirez had attempted to steal his car and assault his wife. 

It was not until the deputy asked for his name (Ramirez told him his given name, Ricardo Ramirez) that the ‘penny dropped’.  Deputy Ramirez began to worry as residents converged on the patrol car, yelling in Spanish that they should “get him”.

Ramirez was placed under arrest for attempted carjacking, grand theft auto and assault.  He was unarmed, compliant and non-aggressive.  The most evil man to walk the streets of Los Angeles was apparently not carrying a weapon, although it was later claimed he drew a knife when attempting to carjack and that he threw his gun away.  This resulted in police searching the streets and suggesting one of the Hubbard Street residents had taken it for themselves.  No gun was seen or recovered, much like the other weapons Ramirez was accused of using.  If Ramirez had a gun or knife that morning – and was the Night Stalker – surely he would not have hesitated to use them when running for his life. 

In fact, when interviewed on tape by Philip Carlo, Ramirez said:

“I turned at all the people around me and I spit at them (sic) I poked my tongue out at them.  I stuck it in and out, you know, like a serpent… If I would’ve had a pistol, I would’ve made them scatter.  They wouldn’t be as brave as they thought they were.”

It is conspicuous that he said if he had a gun, he would have merely pointed it at them instead of firing.  Instead, the ‘terrifying, Satanic Night Stalker’ poked his tongue out at them like a child.

Ramirez was exhausted and dazed, and bleeding heavily from being assaulted,  so an ambulance was called.  He was alleged to have said in Spanish, “thank God you came,” when the police arrived.  After his capture, Mayor Tom Bradley stated that there was no need for an “arbitrary legal process” because he was already “satisfied” that they had “found the right man” before the veracity of the evidence was tested.  It was clear that a trial was not an ideal outcome.  Alas for law enforcement, Ramirez was handed over very much alive, his head wounds treated and completely covered in gauze bandages.  That is, until they were removed so that Carrillo,  Salerno and others could be seen escorting Richard back to Hollenbeck Station with blood visible down the back of his neck and over the collar of his shirt. 

On 3rd September, two award ceremonies honoured the citizens instrumental in taking the infamous Night Stalker off the streets – all before he had been identified, arraigned or even charged.  Deputy Ramirez also received an award, yet he was merely doing his job – responding to a carjacking.

And the wheels of ‘justice’ began to turn.

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Fast Forward

Over the years, the narratives surrounding this case have evolved and intensified. Carrillo, who was not originally the lead detective and was seldom referenced in contemporary newspapers, has since emerged as the prominent figure of the Night Stalker Task Force, surpassing even Salerno in public recognition.

Current media, including documentaries and podcasts, frequently revisit this case, yet still fail to address essential questions. Four decades on, many uncertainties persist. Our approach was to look beyond sensationalism and superficial treatments, committing ourselves to in-depth analysis. The investigation began with a review of approximately 1,000 pages of court documents and culminated with direct access to the original case files in a basement in Los Angeles. Research is ongoing, and we believe that the full truth of this case remains elusive.

There have been accusations that our work asserts Richard’s innocence; however, a thorough reading will demonstrate that such claims are not made. Instead, we maintain that the case did not undergo rigorous testing and that proceedings were notably biased toward the prosecution. We present evidence indicating that the judicial process was perfunctory, a box-ticking exercise, making any alternative verdict highly improbable in the context of the Night Stalker case.

Venning consolidated our collective findings into a comprehensive volume that avoids sensationalism, refrains from fabricating victim dialogue, and does not speculate about the perpetrator’s thoughts or invent scenarios that did not happen. Our work provides readers with the resources necessary for a critical examination of the case, free from hysteria, leaving any interpretation firmly in their hands.

Coming Up…

Although there has been a period without updates, the team has remained actively engaged. As previously stated, we are committed to sharing any significant developments as they arise. Recently, following extensive communications with the relevant authorities, we have obtained additional information. This process is gradual, as documents are being received incrementally and require thorough review. At present, most of these materials consist of motions filed during the pre-trial phase – and never seen in public before – which correspond with our ongoing investigations. We have also requested further documentation and will continue to compile and share pertinent findings as they become available.  There may be some disruption to a few posts as we update, or split into two, etc, so please bear with us.

During this time, feel free to ask us any questions, and we’ll do our best to answer.  We welcome serious, intelligent input.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to those who have read our book and shared valuable feedback; your support is greatly appreciated.

Source: The Appeal of the Night Stalker: The Railroading of Richard Ramirez (click the link to buy your copy)