The arrest of a 22-year-old loner accused of killing six people for the thrill of it ends months of fear and tension in the California capital.
Eric R. Leonard was arrested Thursday night for investigation of the February slayings, three victims at a time at a convenience store and pizza parlor on two consecutive Tuesdays."I'm glad they caught him. That makes me happy. I was scared for my baby for a while, but everything's OK now," a woman who gave her name only as Paula said Friday as she pushed a stroller past a crowd in the parking lot of Leonard's apartment complex.
Leonard, an unemployed former college student, was interviewed three times by authorities before his arrest, said sheriff's homicide Lt. Ray Biondi, who led the investigation.
Witnesses described a man wearing a trench coat at both crime scenes and the link was crucial in leading detectives to Leonard, Biondi said.