Richard Ramirez's Real Name: Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramirez

Quick answer: Richard Ramirez was born Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramirez in El Paso, Texas, in February 1960. Richard is the English form of Ricardo. In 1989 a California jury convicted him of 13 murders and other crimes committed in 1984–85, and he was sentenced to death. He died of lymphoma while on death row on June 7, 2013, at 53 (Britannica; Library of Congress).

Real name and early life

Britannica gives his name in full as Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramirez. The Library of Congress name authority files him as "Ramirez, Richard Muñoz, 1960-2013," with cross-references including "Leyva Muñoz Ramirez, Ricardo," "Muñoz Ramirez, Richard," and "Ramirez, Ricardo." An LOC citation drawn from an obituary reads "b. Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramirez, Feb. 28, 1960, El Paso, Tex.; d. Friday [June 7, 2013], Greenbrae, Calif., aged 53."

His birth date is recorded two ways. Britannica and another LOC citation give February 29, 1960, a leap day, while the obituary citation gives February 28.

Britannica says he was the youngest of five children of Mexican immigrants and grew up in El Paso. His father was reportedly a heavy drinker and abusive. As a teenager he began breaking into homes and using drugs. After dropping out of high school, he moved to Los Angeles and was briefly imprisoned for car theft.

Career highlights

Ramirez is known only for his crimes. In 1984 and 1985, mostly in the Los Angeles area and later in San Francisco, he committed a series of murders and assaults during home invasions. The press called the unknown attacker the "Night Stalker," and the attacks caused widespread fear across Southern California. Some of the people he attacked survived, and their descriptions later helped investigators.

Arrest, conviction, and death

Investigators linked the cases through survivor descriptions and physical evidence, including a fingerprint that identified Ramirez. On August 30, 1985, his name and photograph were released to the public. The next day residents in East Los Angeles recognized him and held him until police arrived.

His trial began in early 1989. In September a jury convicted him of 13 murders and other crimes, including attempted murder and sexual assault. He received 19 death sentences. Britannica says he never expressed remorse and was suspected of other crimes for which he was never charged. He was held on death row at San Quentin State Prison. He died of lymphoma in Greenbrae, California, before any execution took place.

Name notes for searchers

Ricardo is his given name, and Leyva and Muñoz are family surnames; he used the anglicized Richard Ramirez. Library records list several combinations of these names.