Watch CBS News

Salinas Man Who Brutally Murdered Parents Gets 30 Years-To-Life Sentence

(CBS SF) -- A judge on Friday sentenced a Salinas man to 30 years-to-life in prison for the murder of his parents last year, Monterey County prosecutors said.

According to the district attorney's office, 26-year-old Ellin Escamilla pleaded guilty on Oct. 11 to two counts of murder for the deaths of his mother 65-year-old Amalia Escamilla and his father 76-year-old Richard Escamilla.

On Nov. 15, 2016, a family member discovered Amalia's and Richard's bodies, which were unrecognizable because of the extent of their injuries, prosecutors said.

An autopsy revealed that the couple died of blunt force trauma.

The couple's neighbors were unable to provide police with any information about the deaths. However, the couple's relatives reported that their son Ellin had grown increasingly paranoid due to drug use, prosecutors said.

The day after the murder, Ellin was spotted more than 500 miles away in the Southern California city of El Centro. He'd driven there in his mother's car, prosecutors said.

In El Centro, Ellin encountered a man who noticed that Ellin's hands were badly cut, prosecutors said.

On Jan. 3 of this year, U.S. marshals located Ellin in Southern California and arrested him. He admitted that his methamphetamine and alcohol use had created problems with his family and that he'd argued with his parents on the day of the murders, prosecutors said.

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.