There's a rumor circulating that there is a serial killer on the loose in Buffalo, New York but is it true? The Buffalo Police Department says it's false. The department acknowledged that it doesn't normally address social media rumors, but in this case, it released a statement via its Facebook page:

While we do not normally address social media rumors that appear from time to time, we feel it is appropriate in this case. We have been made aware of a recent social media post alleging that there is a serial killer on the loose in the city of Buffalo. The post goes on to say that at least five women have been killed and that there is also two minivans snatching women off the street. This rumor is absolutely false. While we always encourage residents to exercise good personal safety measures, the spreading of false information such as this causes undue concern. As always, if you see something suspicious, you should immediately call 911 to report it.

There's no word on exactly who started the rumor, but you know these things are like a game of telephone. Historically though, Western New York has seen its share of serial killers or mass murders. Here's a list of the 6 most influential serial killers in Western New York.

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One of them was caught not too long ago, back in 2007. Altemio Sanchez was born in Puerto Rico, but lived in the Cleveland Hill neighborhood of Cheektowaga, according to Murderpedia. On January 15, 2007, a police task force here in Erie County arrested Sanchez. On May 16, 2007, Sanchez pleaded guilty to the murders of Linda Yalem, Majane Mazur, Joan Diver, and an unnamed victim. He was sentenced to spend 75 years to life behind bars.

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