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Suspected Serial Killer Held In Marin County Jail

SAN RAFAEL (CBS  SF) -- Authorities have arrested a 77-year-old Nevada man they believe committed four murders in Northern California between 1977 and 1994.

Joseph Naso was arrested in South Lake Tahoe on Monday when he was released from the El Dorado County Jail, where he was being held on an unrelated charge.

After his arrest, Naso was transported to and booked into the Marin County Jail, where he's being held on suspicion of murder.

KCBS' Dave Padilla Reports:

He is suspected of killing Roxene Roggasch in Marin County in 1977, Marin County District Attorney Ed Berberian said. Roggasch was murdered in the area of White's Hill near Fairfax, he said.

Investigators believe he also killed Carmen Colon in Contra Costa County in 1978, Berberian said.

The two other victims, killed in Yuba County in 1993 and 1994, are Pamela Parsons and Tracy Tofoya, the district attorney said.

Berberian said the case began to crack open in April, when Novato police came across information linking Naso to the murders. He did not provide specifics on what police found.

Naso, who is being held without bail, is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.

Berberian said Naso is eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services may have contributed to this report.)

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