Police Call Off Search For Valley Village Murder Suspect
STUDIO CITY (CBS) — Police have called off the search for a parolee suspected of murdering a Valley Village bride-to-be, then setting her house on fire.
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Acting on a possible sighting of 34-year-old Omar Armando Loera, police began searching near Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Mulholland Drive around 10 a.m. Friday.
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Loera, a transient parolee, is wanted in the killing of 34-year-old Chere Osmanhodzic, who was found stabbed to death July 24 in her burned Valley Village home.
Police began searching for Loera near Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Mulholland Drive at about 10 a.m. Friday, according to Los Angeles police Officer Norma Eisenman.
Chopper 9 showed police officers on horseback searching an open area. Police got a tip from a Parks and Rec employee who said he recognized Loera from the wanted flier. The employee was "fairly certain" he saw the suspect in Franklin Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains, LAPD Justin Eisenberg said.
"It's a big wide open area that would be a good place for our suspect to hide if he was trying to stay out of view," Eisenberg said. "Based on the type of terrain we have there, we brought in officers on horseback from our Metropolitan division and officers on dirt bikes, and they fanned out -- about 40 officers -- in that park area and they're searching for our suspect."
The search Friday was called off about 5:30 p.m., Officer Gregory Baek of Los Angeles police Media Relations said.
"It's slowed down now, as most people have gone to sleep," Kammert said about 4:30 a.m.
"It may pick up again later today with more possible sightings. Which is fine. One of these times it might be him," he added.
Kammert said he was not aware of another organized search for Loera planned in the area Saturday.
The city of Los Angeles is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to his capture and conviction.
Anyone with information about the case or Loera's whereabouts was urged to call the LAPD's North Hollywood Division at (818) 623-4016 or the department's tip-line at (877) LAPD-24-7.
All tips can be made anonymously.
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