Massive Search For Armed Burglary Suspect Who Could Be Connected To Murder
MALIBU (CBSLA) -- A massive search was underway Saturday for an armed burglary suspect that officials think could be connected to an unsolved murder.
As KCAL9's Adrianna Weingold reports, the manhunt involved deputies in the air and on the ground.
The search in Malibu ended for the night with no suspect in custody. They were looking for a suspicious person and searching the same area where Tristan Beaudette was found shot to death back on June 22nd.
Beaudette was the father of two who was camping with his two young daughters when he was fatally shot.
Deputies conducted a massive search in the wilderness of Malibu Creek State Park. They roamed the grounds and also overhead in a helicopter.
"We do want to capture this person so we can make sure the community is safe," said Captain Joshua Thai of the Malibu Los Hills station.
Authorities say on September 30, a man armed with a weapon broke into a water district building and stole food.
Surveillance video showed the man in tactical gear, carrying a rifle.
This morning a worker in Tapia Park flagged down a sheriff's deputy after an encounter with a suspicious man carrying a backpack.
"We want him because he's somebody that had a weapon and could be dangerous, we don't know but we have to take all precautionary measures for this," Thai said.
Authorities haven't connected the burglary suspect with Beaudette's murder or the other shootings in the park in recent months.
The search today started around 12:30 p.m.with several choppers, K-9 officers, SWAT and dozens of deputies combing the area. There was enough activity to force people like Claudia Souser to leave the park. She and her church group were on retreat but decided to head home early.
"We're just being safe than sorry, we hear there's somebody that's been located," Souser said.
The search was called off due to darkness -- it would make the search too unsafe.
If you've seen any suspicious activity in Malibu Creek State Park you are asked to call The Lost Hills Sheriff's department.
