Cops scour creek by I-80 in manhunt for murder suspect who escaped custody in Roseville
The Roseville murder suspect who escaped from Sutter Roseville Medical Center early Sunday remained at large Monday morning as hundreds of law enforcement officers searched a heavily wooded area between Roseville and Rocklin through the night.
LATEST UPDATE: ABRIL SURRENDERS TO POLICE IN ROCKLIN CREEKBED
Eric James Abril, 35, disappeared after escaping from a Placer County sheriff’s deputy just after 3 a.m. at the hospital Sunday, sparking a massive search for the fugitive.
At 12:50 a.m. Monday, authorities zeroed in on a spot at the end of China Garden Road in Rocklin, about a mile northeast of the hospital, after a law enforcement aircraft spotted movement in the area just east of Interstate 80 near where police had been searching Sunday afternoon.
Law enforcement initially thought an object on the ground was a rock, but saw it move. Authorities called in teams of searchers and dogs and methodically began to move through the area, which was heavy with brush and near Secret Ravine, according to scanner traffic.
“The subject looked to be buried under the bushes under the trees from where they saw him go to ground first,” one deputy said over the radio as searchers combed the underbrush and studied broken branches, footprints and other possible clues for hours.
Heat signatures likely wildlife
At one point, searchers said they found some ice and food in the area, and authorities began directing teams toward a spot along the creek where they had last seen movement using heat-sensing equipment.
After several minutes, they concluded the heat signature they had detected likely was too small to be a person, but teams continued to search the surrounding trails.
Residents told officers there were deer in the area, and they or other animals might have caused the heat signatures searchers were detecting.
“He was moving east when he disappeared,” one officer told colleagues over the radio. “I think he went to ground where everyone was looking.
“The only way to move was east through the brush.”
Another searcher said he was close enough to hear movement.
“There was some heavy movement near a tree and it just stopped,” he said. “Then we heard some crackling noises.”
An El Dorado County sheriff’s unit was using a drone to help searchers, who were hampered by the thick brush in the area.
“It’s just hard to access,” one officer said over the radio. “It’s super thick.”
At times, officers could be heard whispering updates over the radio as they sought to keep their target from overhearing them.
Despite their efforts, searchers apparently came up empty and some began leaving the area at 3 a.m., two hours after they first spotted movement there.
The area searchers had pinpointed was about 3 miles northeast of where Abril had been seen on a security camera at 3:39 a.m. Sunday walking on Rainier Court in Rocklin, about 12 hours after he escaped from the hospital.
Hundreds of officers from law enforcement agencies throughout the capital region searched throughout the night for Abril, responding to numerous sightings called in by area residents.
A flurry of reports from concerned residents led to deputies chasing down leads, from a transient wearing an orange shirt sleeping on a sidewalk to numerous empty houses where someone thought they saw movement.
Greenbelts and parks throughout the area about 20 miles north of Sacramento were searched throughout the day as helicopters, drones, police dogs and armored vehicles swept over and through neighborhoods.
“Officers from multiple agencies have gathered and are actively searching for Abril,” Rocklin police reported in a social media post at about 11 p.m. Sunday. “The search will continue throughout the evening and overnight. Every resource is being utilized to take him back into custody.
“We are asking for residents to stay vigilant, check your security cameras, and report any sightings immediately to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.” Authorities set up a tip line at 916-409-1257 and https://bit.ly/pcso-abril-manhunt-tips.
Manhunt passes 24-hour mark
The manhunt began after Abril somehow managed to escape from Sutter Roseville Medical Center after 3 a.m. Sunday, where he had been taken Thursday for treatment of seizures.
Although he was supposed to be under 24-hour guard by a Placer sheriff’s deputy, Abril somehow managed to escape the hospital by running down a flight of stairs and out the doors into the night as a deputy ran after him.
Authorities said they were investigating how Abril, who was wearing orange jail garb and shackles in the hospital, managed to get away, but they declined to provide any details about what had happened.
“I’m concerned with the fact that this occurred, obviously, and we’ll be doing a full investigation when the time is right,” Placer Sheriff Wayne Woo told The Bee in an interview Sunday.
The security photo of Abril taken from Rainier Court after his escape showed him shirtless, wearing what appeared to be orange shorts and no obvious signs of shackles.
Abril had been in custody since April 6 facing murder and attempted murder charges stemming from a standoff at Roseville’s Mahany Park during which officials say he shot and killed a 72-year-old hostage and wounded the man’s wife and a California Highway Patrol officer before surrendering.
