Jail Put in ‘Lock Down’ for 2nd Time in 3 Weeks

The Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles was “locked down” Wednesday afternoon for the second time in three weeks as sheriff’s deputies once again searched the nation’s largest jail for a gun that they believed had been smuggled in.

No weapon was found during the lock down, which began at noon and ended at 3:30 p.m. The move came after bailiffs found bullets in a bag containing the belongings of an inmate who had been transported from the jail to Los Angeles Superior Court in Torrance, said Asst. Sheriff Richard Foreman, who oversees county jails.

Foreman said deputies became suspicious because the inmate, who was not identified, is housed in the same area where deputies found marijuana, money and a handmade knife--but no gun--during a search three weeks ago. As it turned out, the bullets were never inside the jail. Foreman said they were confiscated when the inmate was arrested and had been placed in the property bag.