In the wake of the release of Netflix's new documentary series Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, screenwriter Ed Solomon has shared an interesting story about the pursuit for the killer, ultimately identified as Richard Ramirez. Before police knew who the Night Stalker was, Solomon, best known for co-writing the Bill & Ted movies, was briefly considered a possible suspect.

　　He told the story in a series of tweets you can read below, admitting he initially thought he was being pranked. "In August 1985 I was awakened by a call saying 'Are you the Night Stalker?' I hung up, thinking it was a weird prank," he wrote. "But it kept happening. That's when I learned--from a reporter on the other end--that I was a prime suspect in that grisly Richard Ramirez murder spree."

　　He continued, "The reporter explained that my car was found at the crime scene, which made no sense because I looked out my window & saw it was still in the parking space of my Westwood apartment. I had to hang up because the police were walking up my driveway--but weirdly slowly."

　　As it turns out, three years prior to this night, Solomon co-signed a lease on a car for his roommate at the time, which had the car registered to his address. Three years later, the friend gave the car away, but before the registration could be changed it was stolen.

　　"The guy who'd bought it was eating dinner in a Chinese restaurant downtown, where the car (a crappy red Toyota station wagon) was stolen--by Ramirez--and driven to the murder site, where it was abandoned," Solomon tweeted.

　　According to the screenwriter, by the time the police got to his front door, they'd seemingly learned new information that pointed to a different suspect. "My entire 'ordeal' only really lasted--from initial call to tepid knock on my door--for about 5 minutes," he wrote. "And there was never a sense--aside from the jarring first call, which I hung up on saying 'Who is this?'' and then 'Ha ha ha whoever this is' --of any real threat to me. Certainly because by the time they'd arrived they'd appeared to have already figured it out."

　　Still, in telling the story Solomon now realized he's cemented his own small place in the lore of the Night Stalker murders. "A friend just pointed out that now when people search my name they'll also get 'People Also Search For: Night Stalker,'" he wrote.

　　In August 1985 I was awakened by a call saying "Are you the Night Stalker?" I hung up, thinking it was a weird prank. But it kept happening. That's when I learned - from a reporter on the other end - that I was a prime suspect in that grisly RIchard Ramirez murder spree.

　　— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 21, 2021

　　The reporter explained that my car was found at the crime scene, which made no sense because I looked out my window & saw it was still in the parking space of my Westwood apartment. I had to hang up because the police were walking up my driveway - but weirdly slowly.

　　— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 21, 2021

　　They had an odd attitude when they arrived, saying something about needing to just "check it out" because it was already not seeming likely that I was "the one." (Also: I had obviously just woken up and was - I suddenly realized - wearing only my tighty whiteys).

　　— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 21, 2021

　　Apparently by the time they'd gotten to my place there was new information, & now they were just kind of annoyed - like they'd been given busy work and the *good* stuff was happening an hour or so away. (I actually think they only knocked so one of them could use the bathroom.)

　　— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 21, 2021

　　They wouldn't tell me anything about why they suspected me - which I have to say was exceedingly surreal (and I remember I had just read Kafka's The Trial, which made it even surreal..er?). But in the morning I saw the news - and I figured out what happened.

　　— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 21, 2021

　　3 years earlier my (then) roommate (& best friend) was buying a used car, & since he was in med school & I had an actual job (my Laverne & Shirley gig), he had me sign (or maybe co-sign?) for his loan. As such, the car was registered to my address, even though he'd just sold it.

　　— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 21, 2021

　　The guy who 'd bought it was eating dinner in a Chinese restaurant downtown, where the car (a crappy red Toyota station wagon) was stolen - by Ramirez - and driven to the murder site, where it was abandoned. The irony is my 2 roommates (new ones) were in jail for the night.

　　— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 21, 2021

　　That's because a neighbor had seen the pot plant they were growing in the window, and called the police. (I only found this out the next day when they returned.) The only reason I wasn't in jail with them was that I hadn't been around when they were arrested.

　　— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 21, 2021

　　I remember my roommates coming back later that day & saying something like: "Oh my god have we got a story for you." And I remember replying with something like, "Okay, me, too.. but you go first."

　　— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 21, 2021

　　Addendum to address a few things that have come up since I posted this a couple hours ago. My entire "ordeal" only really lasted - from initial call to tepid knock on my door - for about 5 minutes. (Though I didn't really sleep after that as I neurosed over how it came to be.)

　　— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 21, 2021

　　And there was never a sense - aside from the jarring first call, which I hung up on saying "Who is this?" and then "Ha ha ha whoever this is" - of any real threat to me. Certainly because by the time they'd arrived they'd appeared to have already figured it out.

　　— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 21, 2021

　　The irony of it was that the guy from whom the car was stolen was in a restaurant writing a thank you note to my friend who'd sold it to him. (He'd sold it for $1, because it was on its last legs and wanted to give it away to someone at his church who could really use wheels.)

　　— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 21, 2021

　　He was, apparently, a super sweet guy. And my roommate - and great friend - is a true humanitarian and wonderful guy. Weird how stuff overlaps, though, and things take super strange turns.

　　— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 21, 2021

　　A friend just pointed out that now when people search my name they'll also get "People Also Search For: Night Stalker."

　　— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 21, 2021

　　Update: my old friend sent me this. It's an interesting look - from an entirely different angle. (And I realize I had a fact wrong: it was not the night he stole it in Chinatown but rather a few weeks later, after a different one, that the calls came.) Posted w his permission. pic.twitter.com/Slp68VksoZ

　　— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 21, 2021