On this day in 1985, a tense and panic-stricken Los Angeles finally breathed a sigh of relief as Richard Ramirez, the infamous “Night Stalker,” was captured by an angry mob in East Los Angeles. Recognized from widely circulated photographs, Ramirez was nearly killed by the enraged crowd before police intervened and took him into custody.

For months, the city had been gripped by fear as a series of brutal murders and assaults terrorized the region. Dubbed the “Night Stalker” by the press, Ramirez had developed a terrifying pattern of breaking into homes at night, where he often shot any men present before unleashing unspeakable horrors on the women. His attacks were characterized by extreme violence, including rape, stabbing, and mutilation. Ramirez even carved satanic pentagrams into the bodies of some of his victims, further amplifying the terror. By the end of summer 1985, Ramirez had claimed at least a dozen lives, leaving law enforcement desperate to stop the killings.

The breakthrough in the case came when a witness managed to note the license plate of a car Ramirez had used to flee a crime scene. This led investigators to a single, partial fingerprint, which was checked against the Los Angeles Police Department’s newly implemented computer database of fingerprints. The system, which only contained records for criminals born after January 1960, proved instrumental in identifying Ramirez, who had a history of petty crimes and was born in February 1960.

Unaware that he had become the most wanted man in California, Ramirez boarded a bus to Tucson, Arizona, on August 30, 1985, to visit his brother. However, his plans were thwarted when his brother wasn’t home, prompting Ramirez to return to Los Angeles the following day. As he wandered into a convenience store in East Los Angeles, he realized too late that his face was now plastered across every major newspaper and television screen. Recognizing him as “el matador” or “the killer,” a group of elderly Hispanic women in the store reacted in fear, prompting Ramirez to flee.

In his desperation, Ramirez attempted to carjack several vehicles, but his efforts were foiled by courageous residents who chased him down. Faustino Pinon and Jose Burgoin were among the first to confront him, and a group of over ten locals, including Burgoin’s sons, soon joined the pursuit. Ramirez was finally subdued and severely beaten before police arrived on the scene and took him into custody.

Ramirez’s capture marked the end of a terrifying chapter in Los Angeles’ history, but his infamy was far from over. During his trial, Ramirez turned the courtroom into a spectacle, drawing pentagrams on his palms and making devil’s horns with his fingers. He showed no remorse, even shouting at the jury, “You make me sick. I will be avenged. Lucifer dwells within all of us.” When sentenced to death, he dismissively remarked, “Big deal. Death always went with the territory. See you in Disneyland.”

While incarcerated at California’s San Quentin Prison, Ramirez continued to court attention, marrying a female admirer in 1996. His first appeals were denied in 2006, and he eventually died of natural causes on June 7, 2013. The legacy of his horrific crimes, however, remains etched in the history of Los Angeles.