He was born on February 29, 1960, in El Paso, Texas — the youngest of five children in a hardworking immigrant family. Though his early life appeared ordinary, it was shaped by hardship, instability, and fear. His father’s unpredictable temper and the family’s financial struggles created a tense home environment that left deep emotional marks.
As a child, he also suffered several head injuries, which doctors later suggested may have affected his behavior and impulse control. During his teenage years, Richard began drifting away from school and family. A disturbing incident involving a relative exposed him to shocking violence at a young age, leaving him deeply traumatized.
Soon after, he began experimenting with drugs and minor thefts, spending more and more time on the streets instead of at home. By his early twenties, he had moved to California, living a transient life and developing a fascination with dark and destructive ideas. Between 1984 and 1985, a series of violent crimes across Southern California terrified residents and made national headlines.
When Richard Ramirez was finally captured in 1985, the world knew him by the name the media gave him — “The Night Stalker.” Convicted of multiple murders and other serious crimes, Ramirez spent the rest of his life in San Quentin State Prison, where he died in 2013. His story remains a haunting example of how trauma and environment can twist a life beyond recognition.