Police pursuit forces San Diego elementary school lockdown on first day of classes

Credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi

Credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi

The first day of the new term at a San Diego elementary school was disrupted Monday when it was locked down while police searched for three carjacking suspects, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

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Three suspects were arrested and taken into custody after they were pursued by police to San Diego State University, KNSD reported. The university is less than a mile from Hardy Elementary School, which was placed on lockdown as a precaution, the Union-Tribune reported.

The chase began around 8:15 a.m. in downtown San Diego when officers tried to pull over a white Prius they believed had been stolen, police Officer Billy Hernandez said.

The driver of the Prius traveled north, stopping near Tony Gwynn Stadium on the San Diego State University campus, the Union-Tribune reported. The suspects fled from the car into a nearby canyon, KNSD reported.

The suspects were located and arrested within an hour, one with the assistance of a police dog, police told the Union-Tribune. Thousands of college students also were attending their first day of classes when school officials put out the alert, warning them to avoid the search area, KNSD reported.

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