killing spree in visalia where it escalated from sadistic burglar to serial killer. >> in my heart i believe he's the one and my father was his first victim. >> reporter: elizabeth apartments father gave up his life to save her from being abducted from the so-called visalia ransacker. in september 1roo her bedroom in the middle of the night, threatened her and dragged her out to their carport. >> that's when i heard my dad yell and the man with the ski mask turned, shot my dad twice as he was coming to the back door. >> reporter: the killer fled, snelling died on the way to the hospital. she was 17 years old at the time. >> he's always been my hero. i would not be her'm sure of it. if it hadn't been for him. >> the crime started here in visalia. >> reporter: tulare county district attorney believes snelling was the first victim murdered by joseph deangelo, the suspected golden state killer. he we're filing first degree murder charges against mr. deangelo, along with an allegation that he used a firearm in the commission of that murder. >> reporter: during the 1907s and '80s deangelo

the suspected "golden state killer'. authorities in visalia say, they have evidence that joseph deangelo is also the so-called 'visalia ransacker' of the 1970's.. the new murder charge against deangelo - filed in tulare county - brings the number of victims in his alleged murder spree to 13... investigators believe deangelo is the man behind roughly one- hundred home burglaries in visalia - between april 1974 and december 1975. they also say, he is the man who shot and killed college professor claude snelling during a home invasion in 1975. police say, snelling had discovered a man trying to kidnap his 16- year-old daughter... and he was shot as he rushed over to save her. < sot :24 "...and to this very day." >(grant) (grant) (grant) (grant) (grant) investigators say, they have enough information from witnesses ... and details from the crime scenes... to connect deangelo to the visalia ransacker case. the 72-year-old has previously been charged with 12- killings throughout the state and is suspected of dozens of rapes in the 1970's.. across the bay area and california. (vicki) a

kidnapping of his 16-year-old daughter in visalia. his daughter said it began when a masked gunman broke into her bedroom in the middle of the night, threatened her and dragged her out of the house. >> that's when i heard my dad yell and the man with the ski mask pushed me to the ground, turned, shot my dad twice as he was coming through the backdoor. >> now police say deangelo is also the so-called visalia ransacker, the man accused of burglarizing more than 100 homes in the area about the same time that snelling was killed. investigators say the gun used to kill snelling was stolen by the visalia ransacker. >> these crimes and the manner in which they were committed brought fear to this quiet community during the 18 month period in which the visalia ransacker terrorized this city and was at times was known to eat or prepare food in the victims' residences during his crimes. >> joseph deangelo is accused of killing at least a dozen others during the 1970s and '80s. dna evidence led to his arrest in april. >> a lot of the officers that were involved simply are not with us anymore unfortu

behind roughly one hundredhome burglaries in visalia - between april 19-74 and december 19-75. they also say he's the man who shot and killed college professorclaude snelling during a home invasion in 1975. snelling had discovered a man trying to kidnap his 16-year-old daughter...and was shot as he rushed over to save her. deangelo worked as a police officer in nearby exeter at the time. authorities say they have enough information from witnesses and details from the crime scenes to make the connection to the visalia ransacker case.. the 72-year-old has previously been charged with 12 killings throughout the state and is suspected of dozens of rapes in the 1970's across the bay area and california. (pam) in the east bay. an oakland police officer, responding to a call, is in the hospital tonight... after being involved in a traffic accident. and that officer remains in critical condition. kron4's haaziq madyun has the story. sot