'Night Stalker': What do you remember? [Talk back]

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Richard Ramirez, who was convicted on 13 counts of murder in the “Night Stalker” serial killings, clenches his fists and pulls on his restraints in a court appearance in Los Angeles on Oct. 21, 1985. (Lennox McLendon / Associated Press)

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Richard Ramirez reacts after hearing the verdict in his trial on Sept. 20, 1989. (Alan Greth / Associated Press)

June 7, 2013 12:14 PM PT

Many remember the fear that swept across Southern California during “Night Stalker” Richard Ramirez’s months-long rampage of sexual assault and murder in 1984 and ’85.

Ramirez died Friday morning of natural causes at Marin General Hospital, state Department of Corrections spokeswoman Deborah Hoffman said. He was 53.

A Los Angeles jury convicted him in the 13 killings. He was sentenced to death and had been serving time on death row in San Quentin since 1989.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Ramirez found guilty

In most of the cases, Ramirez entered homes in the early morning hours through open windows or doors. Some of the victims were found strangled, others had their throats slashed, but most had been fatally shot. Spray-painted pentagrams -- a distinctive Satanist symbol -- were also found on the walls of the some of victims’ homes.

The killings led to an increase in the sale of guns, ammunition, locks and window bars throughout Los Angeles County.

Ramirez’s crime rampage finally ended on Aug. 31, 1985, when he was captured and beaten by angry citizens in East Los Angeles after he tried to steal a woman’s car.

We’re collecting memories from that era -- what do you remember? Did the “Night Stalker” affect your life? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @LANow.

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