Man accused of killing hostage in Roseville park is on the loose after escaping from hospital

ROSEVILLE — Police are searching for a man accused of murder who fled from a hospital in a Sacramento suburb early Sunday.

In April, Eric Abril, 35, was arrested in the shooting of a California Highway Patrol officer and two hostages, killing one, in a park in Roseville, according to police.

On Thursday, Abril was taken to the Sutter Roseville Medical Center in an ambulance. According to the Sacramento Bee, he was to be treated for seizures.

He escaped from the hospital around 3 a.m. Sunday. According to the Bee, he was pursued by a sheriff’s deputy as he ran down a flight of stairs and disappeared into the night. Authorities gave no details of how he managed to get away; the Placer County sheriff’s office said he was not shackled when he fled.

At 3:39 a.m., Abril was seen on security video in a Rocklin neighborhood about a 2-mile walk from the hospital, Roseville police said. At that time, he was shirtless and had on orange pants.

Police asked residents in the area to “exercise extreme caution” and call 911 if they see Abril. He is about 6 feet tall and 175 pounds, and has a tattoo on his left shoulder of ocean waves and bamboo.

The search centered on the Interstate 80 corridor from Roseville to Loomis, and on Monday morning officers were focusing  on a wooded area just south of I-80 and about a mile northeast of the hospital.

The shooting on April 6 occurred after CHP officers approached Abril in Roseville’s Mahany Park to question him about a freeway shooting. He took two hostages, and exchanged fire with officers. One hostage, James MacEgan, was killed; his wife, Patricia MacEgan, was wounded.

Abril was charged with murder, aggravated kidnapping and attempted murder of a peace officer. He was booked in the Placer County jail without bail.