Irvine shooting suspect in custody; one woman dead

A suspect was taken into custody in connection with the killing of an Irvine woman who was gunned down outside her Turtle Rock home Thursday afternoon, police said.

The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, was found after a two-hour search in South Orange County, said Irvine Police Lt. Julia Engen.

The shooting took place on a cul de sac in the 18000 block of La Sienna and was reported at 2:08 p.m., Engen said.

Residents reported hearing a woman in distress followed by shots. The number of shots was unknown, and police did not release whether the woman died at the scene or a nearby hospital.

An investigative perameter was still up as of 6 p.m. Thursday, Engen said.

A few homes in the area were evacuated, and the three main entry ways into the neighborhood were blocked off, Engen said.

The shooting took place near Turtle Rock Elementary School, said Irvine Unified spokesman Ian Hanigan.

A teacher apparently heard the gunfire and reported it to police, Hanigan said.

No students were at the school and faculty and staff were escorted off campus one by one.

The suspect was described as a 35-year-old Latino, 5-feet-9 and weighing 200 pounds, the UCI alert said. He was wearing a light blue shirt and tan pants.

Police had set up a command post at nearby University High School.

UC Irvine was not locked down because of the shooting, and posed no threat to students, said Tom Vasich, a spokesperson for the university.

— Joanna Clay and Lauren Williams