A suspect arrested in connection with a fatal hostage incident at a California park in April escaped custody Sunday, authorities said.
Eric Abril, 35, is accused of shooting and wounding a highway patrol officer in Mahany Park before taking two bystanders hostage, fatally shooting one and wounding the other, police said.
April escaped from Sutter Roseville Medical Center early Sunday morning. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office and the Roseville Police Department are searching for the suspect in the greater East Roseville area.
Authorities did not clarify why Abril was at the medical center.
«We have developed new information revealing that April was last seen on surveillance video walking in the Rainier Court area of Rocklin at 3:39 a.m., and then northbound a few minutes later on Saddletree Lane,» it said. the Placer County Sheriff’s Office in a statement. .
Authorities describe Abril as «a six foot tall white male with brown hair and weighing 175 pounds» who was last seen wearing an orange jail jumpsuit. In an update, the sheriff’s office said April was not wearing a shirt or shackles around her waist, but it is believed he was wearing orange pants.
The sheriff’s office is encouraging anyone with information to help find April to come forward.
«We ask the immediate public to use extreme caution and to call 911 immediately if Abril is seen,» the sheriff’s office said.
Gunshots erupted in Mahany Park on April 6 around 12:30 p.m. when California Highway Patrol officers attempted to serve a search warrant on a man as part of an ongoing felony investigation, the police said. CHP. Roseville police later identified the man as Abril.
The suspect allegedly ran and fired at CHP officers, and «an officer involved fired» as the gunman ran into a green area, the state agency said in a statement Friday.
April then allegedly took the two people hostage, authorities said. The hostages were later identified as a married couple.
James MacEgan, of Roseville, was killed and his spouse was shot and wounded. said the police.
Abril was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder, along with several other related charges, authorities said.
It is unclear at this time if Abril has legal representation.
erick mendoza contributed.