Suspected serial killer from 70s and 80s held

A suspected California serial killer who committed at least 12 homicides and 45 rapes throughout the state in the 1970s and 1980s was identified as a former police officer, an official said last night.

A law enforcement official identified Joseph James Deangelo, 72, who was fired from the Auburn Police Department, as the Golden State Killer. The official confirmed the identity ahead of an official news conference.

Armed with a gun, the masked attacker terrorised communities by breaking into homes while single women or couples were sleeping.

He sometimes tied up the man and piled dishes on his back, then raped the woman while threatening to kill them both if the dishes tumbled.

He often took souvenirs, notably coins and jewellery, from his victims, who ranged in age from 13 to 41

Deangelo was fired from the Auburn Police Department in 1979 after he was arrested for stealing a can of dog repellant and a hammer from a drug store.