Felon Chased by Police Finally Arrested After Lockdown

ONTARIO – Police locked down a neighborhood for over two hours, finally arresting a felon who was in possession of a firearm on Sunday.

Chaffey High School and the surrounding area were in lockdown while police searched for Garcia

Sijifredo Garcia, 24, of El Monte, was arrested at 5:30 p.m. on Harvard Street after bail recovery agents had tried taking him into custody for an outstanding warrant, according to police. Affiliated with a gang, Garcia was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm and brandishing a firearm, along with the warrant. Special enhancements are attached to the charges because of his gang affiliation.

An intensive search took place that led to a lockdown at Chaffey High School during a matinee performance of “The Wizard Of Oz” put on by the school’s theater department, along with the nearby neighborhood that police searched from home to home. Garcia was chased into the parking lot at Chaffey High School, which police placed on immediate lockdown. Police informed the audience of the situation, which temporarily held up the play.

The Show Must Go On! - The play was halted during the lockdown, but eventually resumed, to great reviews according to media reports.

Initial reports were that bail agents had tried to take Garcia into custody at 2:30 p.m. near Euclid Avenue and Fourth Street. The agents wound up chasing Garcia, who reportedly brandished a firearm that he took from his waistband. He reportedly slipped out of the high school area into a neighborhood.

For over two hours, residents who lived within the lockdown perimeter were not allowed to leave, nor was anyone allowed into the neighborhood while a county sheriff’s helicopter circled above notifying residents to stay inside. Eventually, a K-9 team discovered Garcia hiding in the rear yard of a home on Harvard Place. Garcia sustained injuries, bleeding from his head after he was taken from the yard in handcuffs. How he sustained the injuries was not disclosed.

Police said the incident is still under investigation.

Read More:

The Sun: Fugitive caught after lockdown in Ontario

Daily Bulletin: Man arrested by police in Ontario was fleeing bail agents