Police say a man is in custody who may be responsible for a series of 12 homicides and 45 rapes across California nearly five decades ago.

Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, was arrested in Sacramento County on Tuesday on suspicion of murder in two of the unsolved cases, according to The Daily Beast .

Billy Jensen, a co-author of a book about the case, told The Daily Beast that DeAngelo has not been confirmed as the man responsible for the serial killings, but that it looks good.

The so-called Golden State Killer stoked fears throughout the 1970s and 80s. The case received renewed media attention earlier this year with the publication of the book Ill Be Gone in the Dark , by the late Michelle McNamara.