Interview with retired Los Angeles County Sheriff Homicide Detective Gil Carrillo

Years of Service: 1971-2009

Gil grew up in the 1970s in Los Angeles. As Gil explains, he was a lazy student who often hung around other young men who were going nowhere. At age 17, a police officer took an interest in Gil and recognized that if he didn’t get out of his environment, he was going to end up in jail or possibly dead. The officer brought Gil home one day and told his parents that if they didn’t sign Gil over to the military, they would probably lose their son.

Gil joined the military, served in Vietnam, and, as he tells it, changed his life. He came home with a new attitude and three goals. To graduate from college, to become a police officer, and to get back at his ex-girlfriend, who had sent him a dear John letter while he had been in Vietnam.

Gil joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department at age 21 and became a correctional deputy. He soon was on patrol and then worked in plain clothes investigating gangs. With just 9 ½ years on the job, Gil joined the Homicide Unit where worked for over 21 years.

Gil is best known for being the co-lead on the Richard Ramirez “Night Stalker” case and, in this interview, discusses theories of the case that he had that no one else believed.

Gil also talks about how he was approached by George Lopez to host a podcast and what that experience was like.