Grand jury report on Roseville park shooting suspect Eric Abril's hospital escape released
ROSEVILLE — A recently released grand jury report shows how the accused Roseville park shooter escaped a hospital last year, leading to a 33-hour manhunt.
Eric Abril was allegedly involved in a shooting on a California highway last year and was confronted by California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers at Mahany Park on April 6, 2023. He is accused of holding an elderly couple hostage and using one of them as a human shield against gunfire.
James MacEgan, 72, was killed during the exchange of gunfire. His wife and a CHP officer were injured. Abril was taken to jail where he remained in custody for nearly three months.
Abril was transported to Sutter Roseville Medical Center in July 2023 for seizure-like episodes. It was there he managed to escape and led law enforcement on a 33-hour manhunt, costing taxpayers $109,000—something outlined in the recently released grand jury report by Placer County. The Abril incident is covered on pages 16-31 in the report.
"Abril was able to defeat some of his restraints, and as we conduct this investigation, we'll not only look into the circumstances around the escape, but we'll also review our policies, our procedures and our equipment," Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said at a press conference during the manhunt in 2023.
The grand jury report outlined a timeline of events from July 8-9, 2023. Abril was wearing belly chains not attached to anything. The only restraint was a handcuff on his right hand locked to the hospital bed frame.
Video footage shows Abril working his hand out of the cuffs around 11:15 p.m. and covering his freed hand with a blanket. Around 3 a.m., the attending deputy exits into the hallway leaving his radio, body cam, badge, handgun magazines and phone unattended near Abril. The deputy returned to the room minutes later, but instead of checking the inmate's restraints, the deputy went into the bathroom.
"We believe he was last seen wearing belly chains and orange jail pants. No shirt. No shoes," Sheriff Woo said in July 2023.
The grand jury report found that the classification decision tree, which corrections staff use to determine the level of security an inmate should be subjected to, did not take into account the severity of Abril's crimes, saying Abril should have been guarded by two deputies instead of one.
The report also said the deputy's complacency and violation of procedures allowed the escape and put the public, hospital staff and patients at risk. It also found that the Placer County Sheriff's Office provides no formal training for transporting an inmate or observing a hospitalized inmate.
The report also outlined the failure to notify the entire south placer region of the escape of a violent criminal, saying the emergency alert system did not reach far enough.
The grand jury has three recommendations. The first two go hand in hand. By October 1 of this year, it's recommended to take into account factors like the charges a particular inmate is facing and their severity, and to require approval by command staff before reclassifying an inmate.
Lastly, by January 2025, they recommend the sheriff's office develop a curriculum and start formal training for deputies regarding inmate transportation and monitoring duties.
