What happened to the man who helped capture the Night Stalker and why did he never collect the reward?
By August of 1985 the killer known as 'The Night Stalker' had killed at least 13 people and police were no closer to catching him. That was, until Alejandro Espinoza came forward with crucial information.
The Information
On August 26th of that year, Alejandro made an anonymous phone call to the LAPD and told them he knew who the killer was. Police had received thousands of tips like this over several months but this turned out to be more credible then most.
Alejandro agreed to meet with Detectives later that afternoon and informed them that a man he knew as 'Richard' was the Night Stalker. He explained that he and Richard shared a carpool while working day jobs but he had become suspicious of him during the Night Stalker attacks when Richard started making him stop near Echo Park where he appeared to be handing off goods for cash.
While at first he was confident Richard was just a thief meeting their fence to sell ill-gotten goods he began to become more suspicious as he noted each visit came just after a Night Stalker murder.
The Arrest
Police believed that a suspect they identified as 25 year old Richard Ramirez was the same Richard that Alejandro knew. One of Ramirez fingerprints had turned up at a Night Stalker crime scene and police decided to meet with Alejandro again, this time with a photo book containing photos of Ramirez. Alejandro identified him as the man who he knew as Richard.
The very next day Richard Ramirez was identified as the chief suspect in the Night Stalker murders and was soon captured by a group of angry citizens who caught him while attempting to steal a car.
Disappearance
Richard Ramirez was found guilty on 13 counts of murder and sentenced to death, Alejandro was due the reward of over $6000 for providing key information that lead to the Night Stalkers capture.
Police were unable to locate Alejandro after their last meeting with him, in 1985 he was 26 years old and had been living rough though police knew he had a wife and two children but didnt know their identities and have been unable to locate them either.
In the years since a variety of theories have been put forward from Ramirez possibly killing Alejandro before his capture to Alejandro leaving town and not wanting to be involved in the media circus around the ensuing trial. Others have suggested Alejandro avoided being identified due to possible criminal charges he may have had pending. Police don't believe Alejandro was a criminal and are unsure what caused him to disappear after Ramirez capture.
Conclusion
Richard Ramirez later died in prison of Liver Failure in 2013 while still awaiting execution. Alejandro or his Family has never been located, police are still eager to pay the reward which in the 1980's was around $6000 and remains unclaimed. If Alejandro has since died then his family would be still eligible for the reward.
