Valley Village apartment complex murder suspect facing additional charges for 2022 homicide
The man who is currently facing charges for a man's death at a Valley Village apartment complex in April has been charged with another murder back in 2022, authorities said.
Erick Escamilla, 27, was arrested in early May after a week-long manhunt for allegedly killing 53-year-old Menashe Hidra, who was found dead inside of an apartment unit at a complex located in the 12600 block of Riverside Drive, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
His arrest stemmed from an incident on April 23, when he is said to have broken into Hidra's apartment by climbing onto his balcony after he broke into the empty unit next door via a skylight. Los Angeles County prosecutors said that Escamilla stabbed Hidra with a screwdriver during the break-in, killing him. On May 9, FBI and LAPD investigators took Escamilla into custody after he was located at a local hospital where he was receiving medical treatment for an undisclosed reason.
More than a month after his arrest, LAPD officers tell CBS News Los Angeles that Escamilla has been arrested for two separate violent incidents, including a murder that happened in Woodland Hills back in 2022. He is accused of killing 81-year-old Ok Ja Kim during a burglary in August that year, police said. He is also believed to be connected to an attempted murder that happened the San Fernando area in 2022.
Prior to the new charges connected to the 2022 crimes, Escamilla was facing life in prison without the possibility of parole, prosecutors said. He now faces additional charges of attempted murder, first-degree burglary and one or more serious/violent felony convictions, according to court records.
During a press conference in May, LAPD officers said that Escamilla lived on the west side of the San Fernando Valley with his mother on a part-time basis, only returning home to shower and eat before going "back out on the streets."
