The Truth About Richard Ramirez's Childhood

Born Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramirez in El Paso, Texas, Richard Ramirez was the son of Mexican immigrants, including a father who was said to be "physically abusive," according to CBS News. The youngest of five children, Ramirez often witnessed his father beat his older siblings when they got into trouble, especially for substance abuse, per Digital Spy. It wouldn't be long before Ramirez himself seeing the brunt of his father's beatings. According to The New York Times, Ramirez started sniffing glue when he was in the seventh grade. To escape his father's outbursts, he often opted to spend the night at local cemeteries. 

Ramirez, along with all his siblings, suffered from health issues, according to New York University's Jennifer Grise. The youngest Ramirez was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy when he was in the fifth grade. One of the main hypotheses argues that the Ramirezes were victims of the long-term consequences of the federal government's testing of nuclear bombs in nearby New Mexico, per Grise. On the other hand, when Ramirez's mother was pregnant with him, she worked at a boot factory, which required her to handle pigments and chemicals.

Ramirez was also prone to accidents. The large scar he had on his forehead was caused by a dresser that fell on him when he was two, according to Distractify. Three years later, he was once again knocked unconscious when a swing hit his head. 

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