What to know about manhunt of Eric Abril, murder suspect who escaped Roseville hospital
The man charged in connection with killing a 72-year-old Roseville man and the wounding of the man’s wife and a California Highway Patrol officer at Mahany Park in April escaped Sunday morning from Sutter Roseville Medical Center off of Secret Ravine Parkway, and law enforcement agencies across the Sacramento region were searching for him.
Eric James Abril, 35, had been held in custody by Placer County sheriff’s officials since April on charges of murder and attempted murder. Abril escaped from the hospital after apparently being taken there Thursday from the Auburn jail for an unknown medical issue.
As of Sunday afternoon, authorities were focused on a neighborhood more than a mile north of the hospital in Rocklin. A helicopter circled above and alerted residents of their search for Abril, who was described as a 6-foot, 175-pound white male with brown hair.
How did he escape?
Few details were provided about Abril’s actual escape.
At around 6 a.m. Sunday, officials from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office announced they and multiple allied agencies were searching for Abril after he ran from the second floor of the sprawling hospital and exited the building.
Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo, during a 10 a.m. news conference, vowed his office would investigate how Abril managed to escape from custody at the hospital, where he was supposed to be under 24-hour guard.
What is law enforcement doing about it?
Sheriff’s officials warned the public to “exercise extreme caution” as they search for Abril.
Authorities urge anyone who sees anything suspicious to call their tipline at 916-409-1257 or submit tips to https://bit.ly/pcso-abril-manhunt-tips.
Authorities responded to a series of calls from citizens reporting possible sightings throughout southwest Pa, scanner traffic revealed. Reports of people wearing orange clothing or abandoned orange clothes were called in.
Police vehicles, assisted by aircraft from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol, zeroed in on reports of sightings in Roseville, Rocklin and Granite Bay to the east. In each case, Abril was not located.
Why was Abril in the hospital?
Lt. Ty Conners, a Sheriff’s Office spokesman, said during the media briefing that Abril would have had a deputy assigned to guard him at all times since he was taken to the hospital Thursday for what officials said was an unknown reason.
Sutter officials declined to comment Sunday, referring inquiries to law enforcement, but a source with knowledge of the incident who was not authorized to speak said Abril had been taken to the hospital after complaining of seizures in the jail.
Conners said an investigation would be conducted to determine if Sheriff’s Office policies and procedures were followed as Abril was being held.
“That’s under investigation right now,” Conners said. “We’ll let you know later on.”
Why was he in police custody?
Abril was in custody following an April 6 shootout at Mahany Park that killed James MacEagan, 72, and wounded his wife, Patricia. A CHP officer also was shot during the standoff, which authorities say occurred after Abril took the couple hostage as law enforcement officers attempted to take Abril into custody on an earlier warrant.
Sources say Abril exchanged gunfire with Roseville police several times and used Patricia MacEagan as a shield while he threatened to kill her. He eventually shot her in the arm, authorities said. Her husband was shot and killed at the scene.
The standoff sparked a massive law enforcement response of more than 100 officers drones and armored vehicles until Abril, who was wearing a body armor vest and had been sought in connection with an earlier freeway shooting, surrendered.
Woo said Sunday’s search involved over 200 law enforcement officials.
Abril pleaded not guilty to the charges, which could lead to a death penalty prosecution, on April 18.
Abril has four previous criminal convictions in Santa Clara County, including 2008 convictions of resisting or preventing an officer from performing their duties and grand theft, a 2010 second-degree burglary conviction and a 2013 conviction for carrying a concealed knife.
In 2014, he acquired his fifth and sixth convictions in San Luis Obispo County for second-degree burglary and preventing or dissuading a witness or victim from testifying.
Abril was wounded during the April 6 standoff and hospitalized until the following evening, when he was booked into Placer County Jail.
