During my research for the 25th Anniversary Night Stalker Walking Tour,I contacted Retired Sheriff’s Homicide Detective, Lt. Gil Carrillo for an interview. He cordially agreed and I arrived at the East L.A. Sheriff’s Station one morning for my highly anticipated meeting. Listening to the man speak about one of the most infamous criminal cases in Los Angeles history was both mesmerized and enlightening. Teamed with Det. Frank Salerno, Carrillo was the lead L.A. County Sheriff’s homicide detective assigned to the Night Stalker case in 1984. During our interview, I saw the human side of a man assigned to track down and capture one evil son of a bitch. This was his job, but it was one assignment that got under his skin like no other. By learning about the evil that men do, I also learned about the sacrifices that men make. I learned what it is to give pieces of yourself away in order for the greater society to not have to. I learned what it means to make a difference in humanity’s never ending struggle against the ebb and flow of good vs. evil.  This was a story of horror and heroism with a happy ending. Another dark player eliminated from society’s sick game. A game that never ends ands picks it’s players randomly every day. I also wondered about some higher powers at work here, and how we, as mere individuals must often find ourselves taking on battles that may seem beyond us and may require us to set aside every natural fear that makes us human. For me,…that is heroic. And it’s those singular acts that define and shape our collective fate in a world that can only hope to contain it’s fear and lust for violence. Hurray for the heroes.

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The summer of 1985. The hottest in L.A. history. During those boiling hot nights, the darkness brought no relief. Only sleepless fear, bloody nightmares, and cold sweat. Doors and windows were double checked, and newly installed security bars imprisoned us within our own homes. The “Night Stalker” had become the living specter of our collective fears,.. and no one was safe.

Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, a young drifter and skilled burglar named Richard Munoz Ramirez stepped from a Greyhound bus at 6th and Los Angeles street and soon blended into the human cesspool of downtown’s skid row’s underworld.  From this home base, his touch of evil would reach into the sanctity of random and scattered south land homes, transforming nightmares into steel cold realities. He would leave his bloody mark on our city with an infamy to match the most brutal and violent episodes of our generation.

The Night Stalker’s path of murder and rape crossed very close to my very own East Los Angeles neighborhood. We felt his shadow lurking on our streets and at our back windows. A self professed predator for Satan’s favor, he prowled and savaged in the neighborhoods of Monterey Park and Whittier among others and no one could anticipate where he would strike next.

When the sun rose that day in Los Angeles, August 31st 1985, it was one of those mornings so brutally hot, that you got out of bed already sweating…..

We awoke that morning and finally saw the true face of the Night Stalker on the front pages of all the newspapers and on our tv screens….Richard Ramirez,…drifter…identified….

Armando Lojero with a copy of the LA Herald which shows Richard Ramirez. Lojero, the owner of the Wyvernwood store on the corner of 8th and Evergreen, reported that Ramirez took the newspaper from the stand in front of his store after seeing his picture on the first page.

.…The events leading up to that morning have been the subject of my past year’s research. During this period I’ve been fortunate to have had extensive conversations and invaluable information first from Mr. Philip Carlo, author of “The Night Stalker, The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez”, who said to me: “Al, no one in this world knows more about the “Stalker” case than me.” And secondly, I had the great pleasure of speaking at length with retired Sheriff Homicide Detective Lieutenant Gil Carrillo, lead detective on the Stalker case who along with Det. Frank Salerno, gave of themselves to find this killer almost to the point of a nervous breakdown. The pair were the first detectives to interrogate Ramirez at Hollenbeck Police Station right after his arrest.

Author Philip Carlo spent over 100 hours with Richard Ramirez at San Quentin’s Death Row, He was able give me unique insights based on Ramirez’ own words. Here is an excerpt from my interview with author Phil Carlo:

Philip Carlo- I know exactly what he did. When the police finally identified Ramirez as the Night Stalker, it was through a single fingerprint he left on the outside of a rear view mirror of a car he stole.  That car was found in Mission Viejo and eventually tied to him. Once the fingerprint was fed into a new computer, the first name it spit out was Richard Munoz Ramirez.  While that happened, Ramirez who was in Arizona visiting his brother Robert, got on the bus in the middle of the night to return to Los Angeles. The day was hot. The day was August 31st 1985. That night, on his way back to L.A., there was a storm and a lot of lightning and thunder. And Ramirez was sitting there at the back of the bus not knowing that he was the most wanted man in the world. Not knowing that every cop in Los Angeles was looking for him. But he felt, because of the lightning and thunder,  some evil premonition. Something that told him there was trouble. That Satan was angry at him. It was more or less a fleeting thought, but how true it really was…….

Next, my interview with Lt. Gil Carrillo at the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station proved to be so amazing, that I was literally spellbound at one of the most shocking and revealing crime narratives I have ever heard. This interview I have managed to preserve on videotape and will be included as part of my upcoming 25th Anniversary Night Stalker Walking Tour. More about that a little later…

Detectives search for clues left by the Night Stalker

Car stolen by Ramirez near Chinatown and used during murders. Car was later found abandoned near Wilshire district.

This is the owner of the car at the spot from which it was stolen. Ramirez would frequently steal cars to get around the city to commit his capers. One car he stole had been parked at the old Velvet Turtle restaurant located on North Hill Street in Chinatown.

Ramirez’ last run ended in East Los Angeles that morning, on a typical Eastside avenue filled with Saturday morning Raza going about their business. Until a killer in their midst made the street explode into a scene of furious street justice. Ramirez had attempted to steal a car on that street and threatened and punched a woman in the process. And as we all know, “You don’t FUCK with a Mexican’s woman, and you definitely don’t FUCK with a Mexican’s car!” Or as Lt. Carrillo put it to me,..”Al, There are some good Mexicans and there are some bad Mexicans,..the good Mexicans keep a “Pípa” (metal pipe) by the front door, and the bad Mexicans carry guns,….Ramirez was lucky he ran into some good Mexicans that day…” Some luck. Richard Ramirez now sits on Death Row.

In order to commemorate this infamous date in Los Angeles crime history, I have organized a walking tour and retracing of the Stalker’s last steps; “The 25th Anniversary Night Stalker Tour” With numerous stops and sights beginning in Downtown’s Skid Row and a trip to the “Eastside”, culminating on Richard’s street of broken Satanic dreams;…Hubbard Avenue in E.L.A. Along with never before revealed details and materials from the case, speakers and witnesses will relive their “Night Stalker” experiences from that era. Space on the tour is limited. Full details about this event scheduled for Sunday August 29th 2010 are available on the tour website at:

http://nightstalkertour.blogspot.com

Jose Burgoin, at left, had chased down Ramirez after he tried to steal this sweet red Mustang belonging to Faustino Pinon, right. Photograph by James Ruebsamen. photos from L.A. Times archives and courtesy of Philip Carlo collection.

No way he was getting this car…..Faustino Pinon and Jaime Burgoin

Manuel and Angelina De La Torre. Ramirez tried to carjack her. When she refused to turn over her keys, the Stalker punched her in the stomach. Photograph taken by Chris Gulker.

Arturo Benavidez, owner of Art’s Barber Shop called the cops after Richard Ramirez tried to jack this occupied car in front of his shop. LA Herald photo by Leo Jarzomb.

Rosalio Dimas shown with his trusty garden clippers. He tried to hit Night Stalker Richard Ramirez with it as the Stalker was running through his yard but missed. Ramirez ran the equivalent of a 2 mile sprint that day from downtown to East Los. You won’t believe the escape route Ramirez took that morning..esta Cabron!  Photo by Leo Jarzomb.

Jaime and Julio Burgoin residents of East Hubbard Street in E.L.A. Kick back after a hard day of helping capture the Night Stalker. Photo by Mike Sergieff.

The crowds all gathered at Hollenbeck Police station to try to get a peep of “El Maton”

The Night Stalker in custody. Boo ya.

Ramirez was convicted of 13 murders and was given the death sentence. Lt. Carrillo thinks Ramirez is good for about 6 more killings, but the Stalker ain’t talking. He now exists in San Quentin Prison for the rest of his life where he was married on October 3, 1996 to Doreen Lioy, age 41, a freelance magazine editor for Teen beat magazine who fell for Richard during his trial.

Original drawings, signed by Richard Ramirez the “Night Stalker”

nightstalkertour@gmail.com

eastsidedesmadretours@yahoo.com

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This image was blurred but this hand held sign on Chavez Avenue pleaded: “Show Me Your Tetas”

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After the Lakers won the championship last year, I watched the news coverage of the street celebrations that took place on the Eastside.  I decided that day, that if the Lakers won the NBA crown once again, this time I would witness the street celebrations firsthand from the “Belly of the Beast.”

Due to my inabilty to handle the stress of watching the game live,..I set my DVR to record and took an extended walk around my East L.A. neighborhood to bask in the energy that hung in the air. The heat of sports passion was already high, thank to the earlier soccer heroics of “El Tri” in the World Cup. The sun was setting fast by the 4th quarter and smell of impending victory and carne asada was intoxicating.

House to house, TV sets blared, punctuated by hoots, hollers and claps. the sounds of excitement echoed across the deserted Eastside neighborhoods.

I made my way to the Kmart/Target shopping center where the police had begun to station themselves and install road blocks to cut Whittier Bl. off to cross to traffic. I could tell that this time there would be a prepared show of force to keep any street celebrations to a minimum.

I got back to my parents house to watch the final seconds of the game tick away, and a collective roar of celebration arose from the East Los soul as houses emptied and revelers took to the streets. Our Lakers were champions once again!

We then proceeded, video camera in hand, to navigate Whittier Blvd. on foot. Beginning at Gerhart Ave., heading west towards Atlantic Ave…..

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photo by Al Desmadre

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Beware of false Eastsides. As the pretenders to the Eastside name and identity fade into the West…A new question arises for those who may give a shit,..what to call the neighborhoods of East Hollywood, Los Felix, Silver Lake and Echo Park now? As a recent article in la.curbed suggests,..If the already existing names are not trendy enough for you,..add your name suggestions and try to start your own buzz.

Here is my new name suggestion,……the following song says it all and it’s a catchy tune with just a hint of irony.

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My sombrero is off to UCLA for “¡Asking A Mexican!” to be their keynote commencement speaker this year. Congratulations to our esteemed friend,  Gustavo Arrellano!

“Gustavo Arellano is a keen observer of life in America — in particular the culture and diversity of Southern California,” Judith L. Smith, dean and vice provost for undergraduate education at the UCLA College, said in a statement. The columnist was recommended by a committee of faculty, students and administrators.

Article, L.A. Times. April 9, 2010

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My brother is on a cross country tour with the band: “GREEN JELLO“. During their current stop in South Carolina, he visited the local supermarket (FOOD LION). He writes: :”Thank goodness they have a Mexican section, so I can feel at home!” He points out that the Mexican section consists of Mexican beer and 9 packs of cheese….

(photo & quote courtesy of Ego Plum, ebolamusic.com)

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In Sunset Junction, aka the Westside,..,.some friends and I created our own comfort station for the marathoners. As the runners came by, we handed out cold cervezas and sprinkle donuts……

We baited the Cops with a donut on a hook….

..and a good time was had by all in the Silver Lake portion of the Marathon…

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