The man has been arrested in connection with a horrifying murder inside an apartment in a luxury valley village that left residents of the building fearing their safety during nearly two weeks of manhunt.
The suspect has been identified as Eric Escamilla, according to investigators at the Los Angeles Police Department. The 27-year-old was taken into custody at West Hills Hospital and is currently undergoing treatment for unknown reasons.
The victim, 53-year-old Menache “Manny” Hydra, was found dead inside his apartment on April 26th, after a friend of a source who said Manny had been sick along with Covid, called the police for welfare checks.
Three days before the uneasy and tragic discovery, a resident living near the murder scene told KTLA about 3am on April 23 that he heard he was screaming and someone screaming for help.
“I just woke up with some loud voices and something crashed,” he told KTLA. “There was a scream and I called for our safety, and right after that I called the police.”
The resident, like many others in the building, did not want to share his name.
The suspect was seen in surveillance footage trying to enter the apartment on April 23, 2025. (Viewer Image) A suspect seen in surveillance footage of attempting to enter the apartment on April 23, 2025 (viewer Image) A suspect in the murder of a 53-year-old man from a volleyball village seen in conjunction with the apartment in which the murder took place. (KTLA) What appears to be bloodstains on the exterior of the building between the balcony of an empty apartment and the balcony of the victim. (Viewer Photo) An clearly bloody door handle leading to the exterior staircase. (Viewer Photo) A broken security FOB found on a door leading to the outside of the building. (Viewer photos)
What’s even cooler is security footage of the house obtained by KTLA, which appears to show Escamilla stalking the building’s corridor before 3am.
In the footage, he sees him go door-to-door and tries to force several units to his own path.
Residents said that anyone who committed the murders apparently entered an empty five-floor apartment and climbed from that balcony to the victim’s balcony.
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A photo of the bloody exterior of the building between the two balconies strengthens these claims and a photo of the bloody door handle leading to an exit stairwell where the killer may have escaped after the murder.
Investigators confirmed what many residents believed, saying the 27-year-old violated the building through the skylight of a unit adjacent to the victim, crossed the balcony and entered Hydra’s apartment.
“A physical altercation occurred between the suspect and the victim, which ultimately led to the death of the victim,” the official said in a news release.
Management’s response to the tragic incident made residents of the high-end complex fierce and annoyance. Many of them said they complained that security issues preceded the killing and that there was further intrusion after the murders.
Escamilla’s arrest was not just two weeks after Hydra’s body was found. Residents of the building feared that the suspects were still loosened.
Police reportedly were chasing the 27-year-old, and he lost a significant death last week, the Los Angeles Times reported.
In February, Escamilla was arrested in the San Fernando Valley for arrest and resistance. He was released on $10,000 bail. He had previously been arrested by San Fernando police in December.
Anyone with information about the investigation is advised to contact the Valley Bureau Murder at LAPD at 818-375-9550. Anonymous tips can be created by calling the LA Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline or by leaving a tip online at www.lacrimestoppers.org.
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