Residents of a Valley Village apartment building are scared and frustrated after a gruesome murder in their building remains unsolved and management at the sprawling complex has, so far, done nothing to improve building security.
The victim, now identified as 53-year-old Menashe “Manny” Hidra, lived on the top floor of the five-story Ashton Sherman Village Apartments in the 12600 block of Riverside Drive.
The 53-year-old’s body was found inside his apartment on April 26, but only after a concerned friend, who said Manny had been home sick with COVID, called police for a welfare check.
Three days before the unsettling and tragic discovery, Matthew Maxfield, who lives in the apartment beneath the murder scene, told KTLA that around 3 a.m. on April 23, he heard screams and someone yelling for help.
“I just woke up to some loud noises, something crashing,” he said. “There was screaming, and I called our security and, also, right after that I called police.”
Even more chilling is home security footage obtained by KTLA capturing a man, who police believe is a possible suspect, attempting to get into apartments on another floor just before 3 a.m.
In the footage, the man, described as a Hispanic male between 30 and 40 years of age, is seen going door to door, attempting to force his way into several units.
Residents, many of whom did not want to go on camera out of safety concerns, said it appears that whoever committed the murder entered an empty fifth floor apartment and then climbed from that balcony to the victim’s balcony.
Photos of the building’s bloodstained exterior between the two balconies bolster those claims, as well as a photo of a bloodstained door handle leading to an exit stairwell where the killer may have fled after the murder.
“I walk past those bloodstains every day now,” a resident who did not want to be identified told KTLA. “They’re still there.”
So far, management has done little to quell residents’ fears other than acknowledging the incident in an email reading in part:
“We understand that incidents like these can be concerning, and we want to assure you that our team is fully cooperating. You may continue to see a police presence on-site in the coming days.”
Frustrating residents even further, management has reportedly been taking down photos of the suspect put up by residents of the building. KTLA has reached out to building management and has yet to hear back.
Residents also said they have repeatedly complained to management that transients have reportedly been living on the roof of the building for months, along with complaints about broken security fobs and easily accessible exterior entrances.
“What are they going to do to keep us safe, what security measures are they taking,” one resident told KTLA.
In a news release, detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department said the approximately 30-40-year-old Hispanic male suspect stands between 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs around 180-200 pounds and was last seen wearing a dark-colored hooded jacket with a baseball cap, a white shirt and blue jeans.
Anyone who recognizes the man or who has information about the investigation is urged to contact LAPD’s Valley Bureau at 818-374-9559. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-222-8477 or leave tips online at www.lacrimestoppers.org.
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