Murder suspect who escaped from California medical center recaptured
By Michelle Watson, Cheri Mossburg and Jack Hannah, CNN
(CNN) — A murder suspect who escaped police custody in the Sacramento area over the weekend has been found and taken into custody, according to the Placer County Sheriff, who shared the update via social media.
Eric J. Abril, who escaped Sutter Roseville Medical Center in Placer County early Sunday morning, was discovered after a homeowner walking his dog alerted deputies when he noticed his dog barked at some movements in a nearby brush area, Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said Monday.
“When he was taken into custody, he was clothed in only his jail boxers and he still had the belly chains around his waist, although his hands were no longer affixed in the handcuffs,” Woo said. Abril also had numerous abrasions on his body, Woo added.
California authorities had launched a manhunt after the 35-year-old escaped early Sunday morning.
Abril was facing numerous charges, including “murder, kidnapping causing bodily harm, and attempted murder of a police officer,” related to a shooting in April at a Roseville park, the Placer County District Attorney’s Office said in an April news release.
On the East Coast, authorities issued a similar warning to the public after they discovered “small stockpiles or campsites” in wooded areas they believe are associated with a self-taught survivalist and prison escapee.
Abril’s court docket says he’s also facing personal discharge of a firearm charges along with several others.
“Specifically, it is alleged the defendant attempted to murder a peace officer in a local Roseville park, which resulted in multiple injuries and one fatality. The complaint also alleges Abril kidnapped a victim causing bodily harm and murdered another victim in the commission of a kidnapping. The complaint also includes a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon, and allegations that he was previously convicted of a prior serious or violent felony,” the DA’s office said in April.
CNN has reached out to an attorney for Abril for comment.
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