710 Fwy Reopens, School Lockdowns Lifted After Vandalism Suspect Surrenders
EAST LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A vandalism suspect that was believed to be armed with a gun surrendered to authorities on Thursday.
According to the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, deputies spotted a man around 8:30 a.m. committing some kind of vandalism on a 710 Freeway pillar at Cesar Chavez Avenue.
Authorities said the suspect ran into a construction zone, and became trapped under the freeway bridge. This prompted California Highway Patrol officers to subsequently close all lanes of the freeway.
Three schools -- Brooklyn Elementary School, Hilda Solis Learning Academy, and Esteban Torres High School -- were placed on lockdown as precaution due to police activity in the area.
The suspect was described as Hispanic man between the ages of 25 to 30-years-old.
SWAT team members used a very loud concussion device around 9:30 a.m., which scared the suspect out of a port-a-potty. The suspect then safely surrendered to officials.
Around 10 a.m., officials reopened the freeway, and lifted school lockdowns in the area.
