Old Orchard Elementary School is on a hard lockdown as deputies search for a stolen vehicle suspect who may have evaded them by entering the school’s premises, according to Natalie Arriaga, spokeswoman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
Arriaga also said Placerita Junior High School was on a soft lockdown.
Dispatch radio traffic indicated deputies were pursuing a suspect on foot near the intersection of Lyons Avenue and Wheeler Road, but lost track of him at some point.
The suspect was described as a white male approximately 5 feet, 8 inches tall, wearing a black and gray flannel shirt, with a light-colored undershirt and baggy blue jeans.
Radio traffic also reported that he was seen heading into the South Fork of the Santa Clara River. Arriaga said he was last seen near the Vista Valencia Golf Course. Deputies are setting up a containment in the area.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
