PCY on lockdown after man sleeping in stolen vehicle becomes combative, resists arrest
Paradise Canyon Elementary School went on temporary lockdown Monday morning, after Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies confronted a man sleeping in a vehicle partially blocking traffic on Gould Avenue who became combative and had to be detained, officials reported.
Watch Commander Lt. Mark Slater said the station received a call from a resident at around 7:45 a.m., indicating a man was possibly sleeping inside a Toyota Prius parked on Gould Avenue that was partially pulled out into a lane of traffic and creating a hazard.
When deputies responded to the scene they found the man uncooperative, Slater said.
“They tried to get him out of the car, and a struggle ensued,” he added. “He was being resistant and assaultive — that prompted a big response.”
Multiple units and a helicopter arrived to the scene to assist responding deputies. Given the magnitude of the response, Slater contacted Paradise Canyon Elementary School and requested a temporary lockdown of the campus as a precaution.
The man, described as a 22-year-old resident of Covina, was detained and booked in the Crescenta Valley Station for driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent and resisting arrest. A blood test was conducted to determine whether he may have been under the influence of some kind of substance, according to Slater.
“We suspect that there was impairment by a central nervous system stimulant,” he said, indicating the results of the analysis were still pending.
The Prius was found to have been reported stolen from the city of Claremont sometime in mid-October and is in the process of being returned to its original owner, Slater said.
The lockdown at PCY lasted for about 12 minutes, Slater said.
Twitter: @SaraCardine
