Authorities arrested a man Thursday they say is connected to the killing of a Valley Village resident inside their apartment home.
The deadly incident happened on April 26 in the 12600 block of Riverside Drive. Patrol officers who did a welfare check on a resident found the man unresponsive inside his apartment.
The man in custody was identified as 27-year-old Erick Escamilla, according to the LAPD. Detectives located Escamilla at a hospital where we was recieivng medical treatment.
Police stated that the suspect had unlawfully entered the victim’s apartment, prompting a physical dispute that resulted in the victim’s death.
The deceased was identified by the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office as 53-year-old Menashe “Manny” Hidra.
While some neighbors are relieved with the arrest, many are still concerned that management isn’t doing enough to protect them from tragedy in the future.
“The biggest problem is Essex. They failed us. They failed manny. They failed manny’s family,” said Kaci Harabedian, a neighbor of the victim. “Every day people have been sending emails about unlocked doors. Broken gates, doors propped open.”
Some people who live at the Ashton Sherman Village Apartments said they’ve complained to management about a lack of security. Jonathan Gonzalez reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
Neighbors in the building have expressed their concerns to the managment company with emails asking for changes. Althought security is now patrolling the building, Haifa Nesheiwat says it’s too late and plans to leave the move out.
“Oh I’m already moving my stuff out as of today. I’m not staying here,” said Nesheiwat. “They need to be held accountable. Manny deserves justice. He was my neighbor. First person I met. And all he cared about was making sure I was safe.”
Anyone with information regarding the case was urged to contact the Operation Valley Bureau at 818-374-9550. Calls during non-business hours should be directed to 877-527-3247.
Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.
