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Did One-Time Auburn Cop Joseph DeAngelo Commit Any Crimes While On Patrol?

AUBURN (CBS13) — A new investigation is underway into the police work of one-time cop and now accused East Area Rapist at the Auburn Police Department.

IN BRIEF:

  • DeAngelo was an Auburn police officer from 1976-to-1979.
  • The East Area Rapist killed his first victims in 1978.
  • Sheriff's department is receiving a lot of tips.

Auburn police are starting an internal investigation into whether Joseph DeAngelo committed any crimes in their city while he was on patrol.

Lt. Victor Pecoraro is now part of the investigative team tasked with retracing the steps of a man who once wore the same uniform, he wears now.

"We started to think, well, what if there were any cases during his tenure, here that maybe have a similar MO," Pecoraro said.

Lt. Victor Pecoraro
Lt. Victor Pecoraro

DeAngelo was an Auburn police officer from 1976-to-1979. He is now accused of murdering his first victims, Rancho Cordova couple Katie and Brian Maggiore in 1978.

Auburn police will try to create a timeline for his employment. There are few paper records left. They have found one pay stub. So far, there are no time sheets.

"I just don't know when he was working," Pecoraro said. "What shift or anything like that. Day shift? Night shift? I know he worked different shifts."

Joseph DeAngelo as Auburn Cop
Joseph DeAngelo working as an Auburn police officer. (Credit: Placer County Museums)

As Auburn begins its investigation, more possible clues are coming to Sacramento County Sheriff's Department in the way of phone calls.

"We have received an extremely large amount of tips that have come in," Sgt. Shaun Hampton said.

He says the Sacramento Sheriff's Department is handling the high call-volume by re-assigning personnel and treating the tips like active incidents.

"We have 40 years of history to look back upon," Hampton said.

It's the case of a serial killer prosecutors say they have finally caught. Now Auburn police are checking to see if he also preyed on the same people he was paid to protect.

For the last 27 years, DeAngelo worked as a mechanic at a Save Mart Distribution Center in Roseville.

The East Area Rapist is responsible for 12 murders and dozens of rapes in California from 1976 to 1986.

Catching DeAngelo came down to diligent detective work through the use of DNA samples submitted to genealogical websites.

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