The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department arrested Joseph James DeAngelo Jr, 72, late Tuesday night

DeAngelo is believed to be the Golden State Killer, a serial rapist and murderer suspected of 12 homicides and nearly 50 rapes in Sacramento County in the 1970s and 80s

DeAngelo is being held at the Sacramento County Main jail on two murder charges and is ineligible for bail

The arrest comes months after the release of journalist and author Michelle McNamara's posthumous crime book about the Golden State Killer titled I'll Be Gone In The Dark

The book, released in February, was co-authored by McNamara's husband, actor Patton Oswalt, and fellow journalist Billy Jensen after McNamara's death in 2016

DeAngelo is believed to have been fired from the Auburn Police Department in 1979 for shoplifting a hammer

The Golden State Killer is suspected of terrorizing southern California between 1976 and 1986

It's believed his first murder victims were Brian Maggiore and his wife Katie who were chased down and killed while walking their dog in their Rancho Cordova neighborhood on February 2, 1978

The FBI believe his last crime was committed in May 1986, with the murder of an 18-year-old girl in Irvine

Jane Carson-Sandler, who survived an October 1976 rape attack and was the Golden State Killer's fifth victim, said she was 'overwhelmed with joy' over his possible arrest

Police confirmed Wednesday that Joseph James DeAngelo is the Golden State Killer and he has been arrested on multiple murder charges

A former cop has been identified as the notorious Golden State Killer after a breakthrough in DNA testing linked him to some of the 12 murders and 51 rapes the serial killer carried out throughout the 1970s and 80s.

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Joseph James DeAngelo Jr, 72, was taken into custody by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department on Tuesday night on two murder charges for the 1978 deaths of Brian Maggiore and his wife Katie, who are believed to be the Golden State Killer's first murder victims.

He was later also charged with the murders of Lyman and Charlene Smith who were found dead in their home by their 12-year-old son in 1980.

Despite an outpouring of thousands of tips over the years, DeAngelo's name had not been on the radar of law enforcement before last week.

Police say a DNA match in the past six days linked him to both crime scenes, but authorities refused to reveal what led to DeAngelo.

Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones said detectives with 'dogged determination' were able to get a sample of DNA from something DeAngelo had discarded, though he wouldn't say what the item was. The genetic material was not a match, but there were enough similarities for investigators to return for more and they said they were able to get a conclusive match.

After watching DeAngelo for several days, deputies took him by surprise Tuesday when he left his home.

Police are now working to link the 72-year-old unequivocally to the rest of the crimes that profilers have attributed to the Golden State Killer through his modus operandi. It is unclear how many of the crime scenes produced DNA evidence.

DeAngelo was arrested on suspicion of committing four killings in Sacramento and Ventura counties. In a mugshot released by police Wednesday afternoon, DeAngelo's face and head appeared to be bloodied.

Joseph James DeAngelo Jr

DeAngelo, pictured in this 1962 photo,

The identity of the Golden State Killer has finally been revealed. Pictured are combination images the FBI released of sketches of the East Area Rapist/Golden State Killer before his capture

Police said they waited outside DeAngelo's home for him to exit and then jumped on him as soon as he exited the front door

FBI and other law enforcement are seen outside DeAngelo's Citrus Heights, California home on Wednesday

The FBI team are seen searching the back of DeAngelo's home in Citrus Heights, California

Sheriff's officers are seen removing items from DeAngelo's home as evidence. The 72-year-old was arrested Tuesday night by officers who were waiting outside his house to capture them

Evidence bags are taken out from Joseph DeAngelo's home on Wednesday following his arrest

Investigators said DeAngelo has three adult daughters. An old wedding announcement says he married Sharon Marie Huddle in 1973, according to the Sacramento Bee. They are now divorced.

DeAngelo previously worked as a police officer in Auburn, California before he was fired in 1979 for shoplifting a hammer and dog repellent from a Sacramento drug store. He was also a police officer in Exeter, California from about 1973 to 1976.

Investigators believe he was committing the crimes while he was an officer.

Before he retired last year, DeAngelo had been working at a distribution center for Save Mart grocery stores. He worked the for 27 years.

DeAngelo is currently being held at the Sacramento County Main jail and is ineligible for bail, according to jail records.

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'We knew we were looking for a needle in a haystack, but we also knew that needle was there,' Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said. 'We found the needle in the haystack and it was right here in Sacramento. The answer was always going to be in the DNA.'

Orange County DA Tony Rackauckas said they were going to make sure DeAngelo never gets out of jail.

'This defendant has been able to live here in a nice suburb in Sacramento,' he said during Wednesday's press conference.

Bruce Harrington, whose brother Keith Harrington and sister-in-law Patrice Harrington were allegedly killed by the Golden State Killer in 1980, appeared at the news briefing to offer a few words to victims.

'For the 51 ladies who were brutally raped: Sleep better tonight,' he said. 'He isn't coming through the window. He is now in jail and he is history.'

An old newspaper article states that DeAngelo was a police officer in Auburn, and was eventually fired in 1979 for shoplifting from a Sacramento drug store. Auburn City Manager Jack Sausser said at the time that DeAngelo failed to answer any of the city's investigations and there 'was justifiable grounds to remove him from the public sector'.

Another old newspaper article said DeAngelo was in the Navy and served aboard the USS Canberra, a Baltimore-class cruiser. He left the navy in 1967.

Patton Oswalt's wife, journalist Michelle McNamara

I'll Be Gone In The Dark

Patton Oswalt paid tribute to his late wife, Michelle McNamara, after an arrest was made in the 'Golden State Killer' case made famous by her book

Patton Oswalt tweeted Wednesday that he wanted to visit the Golden State Killer so he could ask questions his late wife wanted answered

Crime journalist Billy Jensen, who helped co-author I'll Be Gone In The Dark, has also tweeted about the suspected killer's arrest, writing in another post that it was an exciting day

Jensen also shared a picture of the faces he and Oswalt made the moment they found out the suspected Golden State Killer was arrested

Interest in the Golden State Killer, also known as the East Area Rapist, was reawakened recently following the release of journalist and author Michelle McNamara's posthumous crime book I'll Be Gone In The Dark.

McNamara spent much of her career researching and writing about the California rapist and killer, but died before the book was published.

Her husband, actor Patton Oswalt, and friend and fellow journalist Billy Jensen finished the book for McNamara and released it in February. The book quickly climbed to the number one spot on the New York Times Best Sellers list.

Oswalt was among the first people tweeting about the possible arrest of the Golden State Killer as he praised his late wife who spent much of her career researching the murderer.

'I hope you got him, Michelle. I hope THEY got him,' Oswalt tweeted soon after the arrest.

'If they've really caught the #GoldenStateKiller I hope I get to visit him,' he posted in another tweet. 'Not to gloat or gawk - to ask him the questions that (McNamara) wanted answered in her 'Letter To An Old Man' at the end of #IllBeGoneInTheDark.'

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Co-author Billy Jensen has also posted numerous tweets about the possible arrest of the serial killer.

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'If you've been following the Golden State Killer case, stay tuned. We will be having a rather large announcement,' he teased, adding: 'Two hours of sleep but an airport chocolate banana smoothie is going to get me through what I hope will be an amazing day. #IllBeGoneInTheDark #GoldenStateKiller #intothelight.'

According to the FBI, the Golden State Killer terrorized southern California between 1976 and 1986. His crimes began in the summer of 1976 with burglaries and rapes in Rancho Cordova and Carmichael.

Investigators said he gained access to the homes by prying open a window or door while the victims slept. He would then shine a light in the face of his victims and tie up the female victim. If a male victim was present, the Golden State Killer would tie him up as well before ransacking the home and raping the female victim.

Detectives said the killer often took small items during his burglaries such as coins, cash, ID cards and jewelry. Some victims told authorities that the killer called them after the crimes.

It's believed the first victims were killed in 1978. Brian Maggiore and his wife, Katie, were walking their dog in their Rancho Cordova neighborhood on February 2, 1978 when they were chased down and murdered by the Golden State Killer.

The Golden State Killer is suspected of committing dozens and dozens of crimes in Sacramento County in the late 1970s. Pictured is crime scene evidence from one of the attacks

Police have linked more than 12 homicides to the Golden State Killer. Pictured are fingerprints police lifted from one of the crime scenes

The serial killer and rapist is also suspected of committing nearly 50 rapes in southern California over the span of a decade. The above photo shows a home that was ransacked by the Golden State Killer

The killer is also suspected of committing 120 home burglaries across Sacramento County. Police believe they found ski masks worn by the Golden State Killer in this undated photo

Detectives said the killer often took small items during his burglaries such as coins, cash, ID cards and jewelry. Some victims told authorities that the killer called them after the crimes

An old newspaper clipping said DeAngelo, who is believed to be the Golden State Killer, was an Auburn police officer but was fired for shoplifting

His first victims are believed to have been Katie Maggiore and her husband Brian. The couple was out walking their dog on February 2, 1978 when they were chased down and murdered by the Golden State Killer, the FBI said

This shoelace was marked as evidence. It was found at the site of Brian and Katie Maggiore's murder

Survivor Jane Carson-Sandler (left) survived when the Golden State Killer broke into her home in October 1976. Debbi Domingo's (right) mother was killed in July 1981

GOLDEN STATE KILLER'S THIRTEEN MURDER VICTIMS Claude Snelling: September 11, 1975 Claude Snelling September 11, 1975 Journalism professor Claude Snelling, 45, was asleep in his home in Visalia, California when he heard an odd noise outside at about 2am. He rushed outside to find a masked man dragging his 16-year-old daughter Elizabeth away. The abductor shot Snelling twice, killing him, and fled the scene on foot, leaving Elizabeth unharmed. She later told how her father saved her life. DeAngelo had woken her up, standing over her in a ski mask. He told her to go with him or risk her life. She said it was 'blurry' but that she remembered him dragging her. 'The kidnapper] threw me down and shot my dad twice. Then he pointed the gun at me.' DeAngelo hit her with the gun and kicked her but fled. Snelling died on his way to the hospital. The shooting was connected to the work of the Visalia Ransacker, believed to be responsible for 102 burglaries in the area, when ballistics matched the gun that killed Snelling to one that had been stolen in a previous break-in. Brian and Katie Maggiore February 2, 1978 Brian Maggiore, 21, and his wife Katie, 20, were walking their dog in their Rancho Cordova neighborhood, just outside Sacramento, on February 2, 1978. The FBI said the couple were chased down before being shot and killed by the Golden State Killer. Dr Robert Offerman Alexandria Manning Dr Robert Offerman and Alexandria Manning December 30, 1979 Dr Robert Offerman, 44, and Alexandria Manning, 35, were killed at a home in Goleta near Santa Barbara. Offerman, an osteopathic surgeon, and Manning, a clinical psychologist, had their hands bound with twine. DeAngelo is also charged with murdering Lyman and Charlene Smith at their Ventura County home on March 13, 1980 Patrice and Keith Harrington were killed in their home at Dana Point on August 19, 1980 Lyman and Charlene Smith March 13, 1980 Lyman Smith, 43, and his wife Charlene, 33, were bludgeoned to death with a fireplace log in their Ventura County home. Smith was an attorney who was just days from being appointed a judge. His wife worked as a court clerk. Patrice and Keith Harrington August 19, 1980 Patrice Harrington, 28, and her husband Keith, 25, were killed in their home at Dana Point. Police said they were beaten with a blunt instrument. Patrice was a pediatric nurse and her husband was a medical student at UC Irvine. Manuela Witthuhn Janelle Lisa Cruz Manuela Witthuhn February 5, 1981 Manuela Witthuhn, 28, was raped and beaten to death in her home in Irvine. She was home alone at the time because her husband was in the hospital recovering from an illness. Cheri Domingo and Gregory Sanchez Cheri Domingo and Gregory Sanchez July 27, 1981 Cheri Domingo, 35, and Gregory Sanchez, 27, were house sitting in Goleta when they were murdered in bed. Domingo was found with her hands tied and suffering massive head injuries. Sanchez was shot and bludgeoned. Janelle Lisa Cruz May 4, 1986 Janelle Cruz, 18, was bludgeoned to death in her family's home in Irvine. She was home alone at the time and police found her lying across her bed. A real estate agent who was selling the family's home was the first to discover the teen's body. Blood was found spattered throughout the home and police believe she was beaten with a pipe wrench.

After this crime, he committed rapes and murders in Stockton, Davis, Modesto and the East Bay. The FBI believe his last crime was committed in May 1986, with the murder of an 18-year-old girl in Irvine.

The Golden State Killer's fifth victim, Jane Carson-Sandler, survived an October 1976 attack. Carson-Sandler said her husband had just left for work when the masked man broke into her Citrus Heights home, bound and gagged her and her three-year-old son and then raped her.

Carson-Sandler, who wrote a book about surviving the attack, said on Wednesday that she received an email from two detectives informing her of the killer's arrest.

'I have just been overjoyed, ecstatic. It's an emotional roller-coaster right now,' Carson-Sandler, who now lives near Hilton Head, South Carolina, told The Associated Press. 'I feel like I'm in the middle of a dream and I'm going to wake up and it's not going to be true. It's just so nice to have closure and to know he's in jail.'

Debbi Domingo was 15 years old when her mother, 35-year-old Cheri Domingo was brutally murdered by the Golden State Killer. Domingo said she had gotten into a spat with her mother and left the home to stay with a friend, a decision that may have ultimately saved her life.

Also killed that horrible July 27, 1981 night was Cheri's 27-year-old boyfriend, Gregory Sanchez.

In a tweet Wednesday afternoon, Domingo said she had not yet commented on the killer's arrest because she was 'digesting'.

'Everyone is wondering why I'm not shouting from the rooftops yet. Digesting,' she tweeted, adding the hashtag: 'UNMASKEDatLAST'.

Neighbors in DeAngelo's quiet Citrus Heights Sacramento suburb said they were stunned over his arrest. Others said he is known to be angry and shout obscenities while he was outside doing yard work. One neighbor told the Sacramento Bee that DeAngelo had 'anger pouring out of him'.

'It's terrifying to think this man could have hopped the fence and come into my backyard. I have children,' said another neighbor named Beth Walsh, who lives behind DeAngelo on an adjacent street. 'I'm glad to know they caught this guy.'

Bruce Harrington, whose brother Keith Harrington and sister-in-law Patrice Harrington were allegedly killed by the Golden State Killer in 1980, appeared at the news briefing on Wednesday to offer a few words to victims

Another neighbor, Cory Harvey, told the outlet that 'Joe' - as she calls him - lived in the home with his daughter and granddaughter and is divorced.

DeAngelo had told her that he retired and planned to do a lot of fishing.

Harvey described him as a good neighbor saying he helped pay for a fence her husband put up to separate their yards. She said he was a regular guy, 'except for that quirkiness of getting mad'.

Natalia Bedes-Correnti, who lives a few houses down, said people in the neighborhood used to call DeAngelo 'freak'.

'He used to have these temper tantrums, not at anybody, just (expressing) his self frustration...usually because he couldn't find his keys,' she told the Sacramento Bee.

Another neighbor, Eddie Verdon, said he caught DeAngelo prowling on his property.

'I had the creeps about this guy for a long time,' he said.

Grant Gorman, who grew up in the house behind DeAngelo, told the outlet that he was so scared of DeAngelo that he avoided playing with his daughter when they were younger.

'I felt sorry for her,' he said about the daughter, adding: 'This guy just had this anger that was just pouring out of him. He'd just be yelling at nothing in the backyard, pacing in circles.'

Family members also said they were shocked to learn about DeAngelo's past and arrest.

James Huddle told Oxygen on Wednesday that DeAngelo allegedly asked him once about the crime spree sweeping across southern California in the late '70s and '80s.

'He actually asked me about it once,' Huddle said. 'He said: 'What do you think of that East Area Rapist? What would you do, Jim?''

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Huddle said his sister was married to DeAngelo.