A suspect accused of two killings about three years apart in the San Fernando Valley is now facing trial.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Eric Escamilla (27) has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of first-degree residential burglary. The charges are connected to the killing of Okja Kim (81), a Korean American woman found dead in her Woodland Hills home on August 2, 2022, and the killing of Manny Hidra (53) in Valley Village in April 2025. Escamilla pleaded not guilty during his arraignment.
Prosecutors said the murder charges include special circumstances of “multiple murder” and “murder during a residential burglary.” If convicted, Escamilla could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
Escamilla also faces charges of arson at Kim’s residence and attempted murder with a deadly weapon in a separate 2022 incident.
Kim was discovered by family members at her home on the 20800 block of Martha Street in Woodland Hills after she failed to attend a family gathering. Her body was found half under the bed, burned, with clear signs of forced entry and arson. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled her cause of death as “sharp and blunt force injuries combined with strangulation.”
The case remained unsolved for years. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) announced a $50,000 reward for information. LAPD homicide detective Sharon Kim, who investigated the case, said, “I’ve worked countless homicide cases, but this one was so senseless and brutal. We never stopped pursuing it.”
Escamilla was arrested on May 8, 2025, in connection with Hidra’s killing. Investigators later matched DNA evidence from both crime scenes, leading to additional charges. Records show Escamilla was previously convicted of residential burglary in 2019.
He is currently being held without bail. The next preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 5, 2025, at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse.
BY HANKIL KANG [kang.hankil@koreadaily.com]
