Police in Los Angeles have arrested the suspect in the murder of Israeli businessman Menashe “Manny” Hidra, 53, after a nearly two-week manhunt. The suspect, 27-year-old Erick Escamilla, was taken into custody Friday morning at a West Hills hospital, where he was receiving medical treatment for unknown reasons.
Escamilla, a Hispanic man with a criminal record, had been released from custody just this past February after facing charges for a separate incident involving a break-in and resisting arrest, according to the Los Angeles Times. He was also arrested in December by San Francisco police. Authorities say Escamilla will be formally processed after he completes his current medical treatment.
Footage of the suspect in the murder of Israeli businessman Manny Hidra in Los Angeles
(Video: KTLA 5)
Hidra was found dead in his luxury fifth-floor apartment in the upscale Valley Village neighborhood on April 26—three days after his murder is believed to have taken place.
According to police, Escamilla was captured on surveillance footage attempting to break into several apartments in the building. He is suspected of first entering a neighboring unit and then leaping across balconies to gain access to Hidra’s apartment, where he allegedly fatally assaulted him.
At the time of the incident, neighbors reported hearing shouting and a struggle. Officers responded but reportedly knocked on the door and left without finding anything suspicious. Hidra’s body was discovered three days later, only after a concerned friend called the police.
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On the same day Hidra’s body was found, another Israeli man, Alexander Modvadze, was discovered dead in his Woodland Hills home, allegedly killed by three Georgian burglars who have since been arrested. In that case as well, police were reportedly called to the scene by a woman who claimed to be inside the house. Officers knocked but left without entering. They returned later and found Modvadze’s body.
The twin cases have sparked concern in the local Israeli community and led the LAPD to launch an internal investigation into officers’ handling of both incidents. At a recent oversight meeting, Police Chief Jim McDonnell acknowledged that in both cases, officers “did not enter immediately” after the initial reports.
While police say the murders are not connected, the timing and similar circumstances have prompted scrutiny and raised alarm among residents.