Placer murder trial postponed in Roseville park shooting that killed hostage
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- A judge postponed a Placer County murder trial for Eric James Abril.
- Abril is accused of killing a hostage after a police shootout at a Roseville Park.
- Abril has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the criminal charges.
A Placer Superior Court judge on Wednesday postponed a murder trial until March for a man accused of killing a hostage and wounding two other people during a 2023 police standoff at a Roseville park.
Judge Michael Jones had initially scheduled the trial to begin Oct. 20 for Eric James Abril, 37, who faces charges of murder and attempted murder in the shooting at Mahany Park in Roseville. On Wednesday morning, Jones rescheduled the trial to begin March 23.
The trial has been delayed since February, when Abril changed his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity. If he’s convicted, a jury will then have to decide whether Abril was insane when the park shooting occurred.
Abril is accused of shooting James MacEgan, of Roseville, and MacEgan’s 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.
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.
