As a teenager in the 1960s in Rancho Cordova, California, Joseph James DeAngelo often biked or cruised his Chevy Bel-Air through local neighborhoods, watching for homes that looked like easy burglary targets.
On one occasion, DeAngelo and a friend noticed a garage door standing open. They got off their bikes and headed up the driveway—until a large German Shepherd came toward them, barking.
According to Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, author of the newly released book The People vs. the Golden State Killer, the dog startled DeAngelo so badly that he backed away, fell, and injured his wrist…