Description
Altemio C. Sanchez (born January 19, 1958) is an American serial killer who is known to have murdered and/or raped at least four women, and raped between 9-15 girls and women in and around Buffalo, New York, during a 25-year span from 1981–2006. Sanchez is also known as the Bike Path Rapist and Bike Path Killer. Sanchez was a machinist and factory worker who worked afternoon and night shifts at the former American Brass Company plant on Military Road in the Kenmore/Buffalo area. He lived in the Cleveland Hill neighborhood of Cheektowaga, New York; and is originally from San Sebastián, Puerto Rico. His family moved to the continental United States when he was 2 years old. His father died when he was young, and his mother married again. Sanchez lived in Florida before moving to the Buffalo area. He has one brother and two sisters, and was described by an aunt as being a serious, quiet, and nice kid.
Sanchez is married to Kathleen, and has two adult sons. He was the basketball coach of his sons' team at their school in Cheektowaga, and was the boys' Little League Baseball coach. He played golf, enjoyed gardening, and is said to have lived a "regular" life. Sanchez had also registered to run in one of the annual Linda Yalem Safety Runs (formerly called the Linda Yalem Memorial Run) at the University at Buffalo, a run dedicated to the memory of one of his murder victims. Sanchez was involved in the community and was well-liked by his neighbors, some of whom called him "Uncle Al" due to his charisma and interactions with them. When Sanchez initially began to strangle and kill his victims, it is believed that he used a rope or cord. He also beat and/or raped his victims during the attacks, and several of them are thought to have fought hard against him. In later years of Sanchez's crimes, he used a ligature, wire, or garrote, to strangle and suffocate his victims. Prior to Sanchez's arrest, DNA evidence suggested that the Bike Path Killer was of Hispanic descent, and an FBI profiler stated that the killer frequented prostitutes. Sanchez was arrested in both 1991 and 1999 for soliciting prostitutes. On one occasion, Sanchez also solicited prostitution from an undercover police officer for $25 and was fined $75.