'Son of Sam' hospitalized with reported heart condition

ALBANY, N.Y. — Serial killer David Berkowitz, known as the "Son of Sam," has been hospitalized with a heart condition, according to reports and state officials.

The Yonkers native, who is serving a life sentence for a series of killings in the 1970s that terrorized New York City, was transferred to a hospital from a state prison in Ulster County, according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

"Inmate Berkowitz has been transferred to an outside hospital and remains in the custody of the Shawangunk Correctional Facility," the agency said. The department would not comment on his specific medical condition.

The New York Post reported Monday that Berkowitz, 64, was slated for emergency heart surgery at an Albany hospital.

The Times Union in Albany said he was being treated at Albany Medical Center Hospital, the only hospital in the area with a secured facility for treating inmates.

There was no immediate comment from the hospital on Berkowitz's condition or whether he was being held there.

Forty years ago, on Aug. 10, 1977, Berkowitz was arrested after a killing spree in New York City that left six people dead, one paralyzed and another blinded. Overall, he shot 13 people, leading to a massive manhunt.