Placer court waits on mental health report in Roseville hostage killing case
A Placer Superior Court judge will have to wait at least another month before he considers when to reschedule a trial for a man accused of murder in a 2023 police standoff at a Roseville park, where a hostage was killed and two other people were wounded.
At a brief hearing Wednesday morning, attorneys informed Judge Michael Jones that a doctor working on behalf of the defense has already submitted a mental health evaluation report for Eric James Abril, 37, who faces charges of murder and attempted murder in the shooting at Mahany Park in Roseville.
In February, Abril changed his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity. His change in plea has delayed his trial, which was scheduled to start last month.
Placer County Deputy District Attorney David Tellman, who is prosecuting Abril, told the judge on Wednesday that a doctor hired by the prosecution needs more time before submitting a mental health evaluation of the defendant. Tellman said the doctor has scheduled a meeting next month to interview Abril.
Tellman told Jones he has informed the victims’ family of the situation. The murder case can’t move to trial before both evaluations of Abril are submitted.
“We have to get these things done in order to proceed here,” Jones said during Wednesday’s hearing.
Defendants in California who enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity could go through two jury trials — one to determine whether they’re guilty or not guilty of the criminal charges and another, if convicted, to determine whether they were sane at the time the crimes were committed.
Abril is accused of shooting James MacEgan of Roseville and his wife during the April 6, 2023, standoff with authorities. MacEgan, 72, died from his injuries. Patricia MacEgan and California Highway Patrol Officer Matthew Hiatt were wounded by gunfire.
Police officials have said Abril took the couple hostage during the standoff with police after a shootout with CHP investigators trying to serve a search warrant at the park. Abril is accused of shooting Hiatt during the shootout with the officers at the park before he confronted the MacEgans.
Abril also faces two additional counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, alleging that Abril also fired gunshots at two other officers, Leo Smith and Tyson Becker, during the standoff. His charges include special allegations that allege Abril used a handgun and was wearing a body armor vest in the crime. He also faces a charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a gun.
Last year, testimony in Abril’s preliminary hearing revealed that CHP investigators planned to serve the warrant on Abril in connection with a shooting two months earlier on a Sacramento County freeway, where gunfire struck a vehicle. Investigators believe Abril was heading south on Highway 99, where he pulled out a gun and fired at another vehicle on the busy freeway.
Smith, a CHP investigator, testified in the preliminary hearing that security camera video captured the suspect vehicle, which led to Abril. Smith said the CHP obtained a search warrant to install a GPS tracker on Abril’s sport utility vehicle, a brown Toyota Sequoia. He said they used the GPS tracker to monitor Abril’s movements.
About 20 investigators planned to break up into two teams to serve search warrants at Abril’s Burnt Cedar Way home in Roseville, about a mile northwest of Mahany Park, and on Abril himself and his vehicle. Smith said in court that they were looking for weapons, guns, ammunition and electronic devices.
During cross-examination, Smith said the team of investigators’ intent was to serve the search warrants; they didn’t have an arrest warrant for Abril.
Abril also is accused of escaping from custody while receiving medical treatment at Sutter Roseville Medical Center three months after he was arrested following the park standoff.
Placer County sheriff’s officials have said Abril was being guarded by a deputy but managed “to defeat his restraints” and slip out of the hospital shortly after 3 a.m. July 9, 2023, while the deputy was on a bathroom break. Abril was captured after a 33-hour manhunt.
He remains in custody at the Placer County jail and is scheduled to return to court May 28, after the prosecution’s doctor is expected to submit a mental health evaluation of Abril.
