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Search for Murder Suspect around Hiking Trails in Studio City Turns up Empty

By  Zach Behrens
Published Sep 17, 2010 11:00 PM
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loera-suspect-lapd.jpg
Loera (LAPD)


Loera (LAPD)
Police yesterday and today searched hiking trails around Studio City for a murder suspect that has eluded police since July. The LAPD earlier this week released the photo of 34-year-old parolee Omar Armando Loera, who they believe killed a woman in Valley Village before burning the house down. Based on that photo, a hiker -- some media reports has said it was a city employee -- saw someone that looked like Loera and reported it to police, according to Officer Gregory Baek.

Police yesterday and today searched three parks known for hiking in Studio City: Wilacre, Fryman, which includes the Rain Forest Trail, and TreePeople's Coldwater Canyon. Sgt. William Mann of the North Hollywood Division explained they made a concerted effort to find Loera.

A search may or may not continue on Saturday, but if they do, the media will be notified, added Baek. A search of the nearby Franklin Canyon Park was not conducted. The area also has a handful of dense open space park without official trails, but are still open to the public.