Massive Manhunt Through Fryman Canyon Ends Without Capture of Murder Suspect

A large-scale manhunt with police helicopters, horse patrols, dogs, motorcycles, firetrucks, all terrain vehicles and squad cars ended Friday evening without success in the Fryman Canyon.

The search was in a huge chunk of Studio City, the area between Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Coldwater Canyon Boulevard, from Ventura Boulevard all the way up the hill to Mulholland Drive.

Police were seeking a suspect in connection with the homicide of a Valley Village bride-to-be. He was named earlier in the week.

At the scene, Capt. Justin Eisenberg of the North Hollywood division of the Los Angeles Police Department said, "Residents are being asked to stay indoors for now, we have done a reverse 911 call to everyone in the area through the sheriff's department to ask everyone to stay inside until we find this guy."

The all-day manhunt was intensified at about 3:30 p.m. and included police helicopters overhead, horse patrols heading along the popular hiking trails and door-to-door check-ins by LAPD officers in the posh section of the Studio City hills where the homes of Britney Spears, Hilary Duff and Eddie Van Halen.

Lt. Alan Hamilton, leading the investigation in the case at the command center,  said three residents of Studio City spotted the suspect and identified him by the distinctive tattoos on the man's arms. A park's conservancy employee also spotted the suspect.

About 80 LAPD officers, fire officials and park patrol employees were searching the residential area, which is a popular hiking area and home to many celebrities.

"If you are at home, we are asking that you lock your doors and stay inside," Eisenberg said. "If you are leaving to go out, we are asking that you make sure your home is secure."

The man they are looking for is Omar Armando Loera, wanted as a suspect in connection with the death of Cheree Osmanhodzic, who was scheduled to be married next weekend.

"One of the parks department employees thought he saw him not too long ago," Eisenberg said. "He may have been staying in the area, there are a number of transients who live up here."

There have been a few possible sightings over the past few days, and police have done a quiet search for the suspect this morning, but when that failed to produce any results, police decided to make a more public large-scale hunt in the area.

The murder occurred on July 24, but Loera was named as a suspect on Tuesday, and police at the time thought he may still be in the area. The suspect has lived on collecting money from recycled bottles and cans.

"Now we believe that it is possible that he may have been living in the Studio City area since the murder," Lt. Hamilton said. "It is important that the public keep an eye out for him. We will continue to search for him every day."

The man is distinctively identified by two large elaborate tattoos of Aztec women on both of his arms.

On Thursday night at a community liaison meeting, a woman told Eisenberg that she saw someone matching the suspect's description regularly at the local Ralphs.

"It is interesting that just yesterday someone from the community thought she remembered him being in the area pretty regularly," Eisenberg said from the command center set up at the located at the top of Coldwater Canyon Boulevard and Mulholland Drive. Eisenberg said the suspect is considered dangerous and has a history with narcotics, particularly methamphetamine.

Hamilton said that he believed that Loera is carrying a knife. For the first time, Hamilton revealed that Osmanhodzic had been stabbed several times with a 21-inch sword when she was killed, and that the weapon was left behind.

"We have reason to believe that he is still carrying a knife, however, and we consider him highly dangerous," Hamilton said.

"We will be back, we won't give up," Hamilton assured.

If you spot this man, do not approach him and call 911 immediately, police said.