Suspect in Roseville Shooting Escape Found and Arrested
ROSEVILLE – After a weekend of searching, Eric Abril, the suspect in the fatal shooting at Roseville’s Mahany Park on April 6, has been apprehended. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Abril’s capture just before 1 p.m. on Monday.
Law enforcement officers converged at the Edgewood Apartments complex off Shannon Bay Drive after receiving a tip from neighbors. Abril was located in the Antelope Creek ravine just behind the complex. CBS13’s Tori Apodaca witnessed Abril being led away in handcuffs, revealing that he had successfully ditched his orange jail pants and was found only in his boxers.
Following his arrest, Abril was taken back to Sutter Roseville Hospital to be medically cleared. Authorities stated that he will be booked into jail once his medical clearance is complete. In the meantime, six SWAT team members will be closely monitoring him.
The neighborhood has been on high alert since Abril’s escape from Sutter Roseville on Sunday. He was last seen wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and surveillance footage captured him walking along Rainier Avenue in Rocklin early Sunday morning.
The search for Abril expanded to include Rocklin, Loomis, Whitney, Granite Bay, and Roseville. Coordination among different law enforcement agencies, including Bearcats, police, and K-9 units, led them to Greenbrae Drive in Rocklin.
Residents in the area expressed their concerns about the escape, with one resident stating, “I think that’s a little weird that he could just escape a hospital after you do a huge crime like that.”
Abril had been taken to the hospital on Thursday for an undisclosed medical condition. Preliminary findings from the sheriff’s office indicated that the deputy overseeing Abril was not asleep during the incident. Investigators also suspect that Abril was able to somehow defeat his restraints.
The initial arrest of Abril occurred on April 6 after he resisted arrest while officers from the California Highway Patrol were attempting to serve a warrant. During the incident, Abril took two hostages, resulting in the fatal shooting of 72-year-old James MacEgan. MacEgan’s wife, Patricia MacEgan, the other hostage, was also injured but survived. A CHP officer was also wounded.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office’s search effort has received assistance from over 70 law enforcement personnel from neighboring agencies. As of Monday morning, a total of 64 tips had been investigated, with search efforts concentrated in the eastern Roseville and Rocklin areas.
Overall, the community expressed relief that Abril is once again in custody. One resident emphasized, “The awful things that he did, it’s a better thing for him to be off the streets than on the streets.”
The investigation into Abril’s escape and the initial incident at Mahany Park is ongoing.