Sheriff's News Roundup: La Mirada school goes into lockdown after gun scare

La Mirada-  A report of an armed man near a school sent deputies responding en-masse to Escalona Elementary last week.  The report later determined to be unfounded came from a teacher after students stated they spotted a man holding a gun during an argument just outside the school. 

The school was immediately placed on lockdown until the all-clear was given.

Deputies ordered the surrender of the alleged suspects at gunpoint, but no weapon was ever found, and an investigation determined that no crime occurred and the students were never in any danger.

A Sheriff's Department source said everyone concerned did the right thing, from the kids telling the teacher, to the school calling 911 immediately and going into lockdown.

The message here is if in doubt call now, and let our deputies ask questions later.

In other recent public safety news of note:

* Early Christmas Eve morning Buena Park Police chased a pair of carjacking suspects into La Mirada where they crashed near the Celebrity Burger on Alondra Blvd near Stage Rd. One suspect was immediately arrested and a search was conducted for the second and was reportedly found near the railroad tracks behind Dunkle Bros.

* A kitchen fire early Christmas morning in the 14600 block of Gandesa Rd. sent one person to a local hospital for treatment of injuries.

*  A felony arrest early Monday was made after an accident at Valley View Av and Stage Rd was determined to involve a driver that was DUI, becoming a felony because person(s) were injured.

Additional fire resources were called to the 2:21 a.m. accident to aid in the rescue of a person trapped in the wreckage.

South Whittier pursuit of stolen vehicle leads to arrest

South Whittier-  Deputies arrested a man found a stolen vehicle Sunday afternoon after leading
authorities on a brief pursuit thanks to the efforts of a Sheriff's Department Aero Bureau helicopter patrol crew.

About 2:15 p.m., the Sheriff's air unit received a notification that a 2013 Honda Accord that had been reported stolen on Friday was heading eastbound on Florence Ave from the city of Downey.  Whittier Police was quickly notified since the wanted vehicle had entered Santa Fe Springs.

Whittier Police provides police services to Santa Fe Springs through a municipal services contract.

There were no injuries in this SUV that the suspect collided with during
the pursuit at Florence Av and Carmenita Rd  Photos by LMNews

 A Whittier police unit caught up to the stolen vehicle in the Sunshine Acres area of South Whittier and went entered into vehicle pursuit on Carmenita Road from Leffingwell Road as deputies were also converging on the area.

The fleeing driver collided with an SUV in the intersection at Florence Ave. There were no injuries to any of the occupants of the SUV.

The crash did not stop the driver of the stolen vehicle, and he began driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of Florence Ave and onto Mills Ave.

Deputies switched to a 'Surveillance Mode' where the patrol cars trail from a safe distance as the Sheriff's Aero Bureau crew above updates the movements them of the whereabouts of the suspect(s).

About five minutes into 'Surveillance' the suspect found himself being placed into cuffs by deputies that were directed to the alley near Comstock Ave and Whittier Blvd after he brought stolen Accord to a stop, without further incident.

La Mirada man arrested after leading police on high speed pursuit

A 27 year-old La Mirada man lead authorities on a high speed pursuit early Thursday evening ended peacefully after his car in a South Gate parking garage and attempting to allude police inside a movie theater filled with patrons.

Arcadia police allege Christopher Cook stole a package left by detectives at a home containing a hidden GPS tracking device combating package thefts. When the package is removed inside the tracker begins transmitting

updated locations of the stolen bait package on a computer driven map to police dispatchers and officers in the field.

Christopher Cook  Booking photo 5/11/17
Courtesy Arcadia PD

After abandoning his car in a parking structure at the El Paseo shopping center at Garfield Avenue and Firestone Blvd he ran a short distance into the Edwards Stadium Theatre.  Cook was taken into custody as moviegoers fled the chaos according to a KCBS-TV report.

The.began  after Cook was located in Hacienda Heights by officers tracking the theft shortly before 7 P.M.

The pursuit traveled on surface streets of several communities near the 710 Freeway including Monterey Park and Bell Gardens and on freeways including the 60-Pomona Freeway. NBC4 News copter footage showed Cook driving in the wrong direction in heavy rush hour traffic at one point. No injuries were reported.

Arcadia police have been successfully conducting an ongoing undercover operation that is attempting to combat the growing epidemic of crimes involving thieves that are following parcel delivery trucks dropping off online merchandise purchases at mostly homes.

KNBC pursuit coverage including copter footage


.KCBS TV report

Compiled by LM Community News with links to NBC4 and KCBS coverage