Mission Viejo Schools Locked Down During Orange County Manhunt; Search Is Over: OCSD

MISSION VIEJO, CA — Orange County Sheriff's Department officials are now saying that the suspect responsible for Wednesday's lockdowns may have never actually been in the city in the first place.

Orange County Sheriff's Department assisted Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies in the search for Zechariah Austin Lee, a 31-year-old last known resident of Citrus Heights near Sacramento who was thought to be in or around a Mission Viejo Intermediate school.

The search for Lee triggered lockdowns at four Saddleback Unified School District schools. Orange County Sheriff's Department's "Duke" Helicopter circled the neighborhood, according to area residents, and parents were concerned as children remained on soft lockdown.

"With so many things going on in schools, you never want to get that text," mother Nicole Maldonado said. Her daughter is one of many students who remained on soft lockdown at La Paz Intermediate school at 1 p.m.

Mission Viejo High School, Esperanza High School, La Paz Intermediate and Linda Vista Elementary were locked down as Orange County sheriff's deputies began searching for the suspect about 11:15 a.m., according to Lt. Lane Lagaret. The lockdowns at Mission Viejo High and Linda Vista Elementary were lifted just before noon.

"The schools are all clustered together, which is why they were all locked down as a precaution," Lagaret said. "There was no direct threat to the campuses."

When Maldonado's daughter sent her a text, she began to worry about the kids, locked inside their classroom.

"She texted me, and said 'Mom, I'm freaking out, someone is trying to get in my teacher's class' and immediately I got worried, and headed to the school," she said.

Outside, she was told by a police officer that a wanted man from Sacramento's phone was pinged inside the science building of La Paz Intermediate School. This has yet to be confirmed by the Orange County Sheriff's Department. There is no word as to how the cell phone got inside the school.

Officers were reported as showing the above photo of the suspect to students inside while they conducted their search of the La Paz Intermediate school.

As of 1 p.m. La Paz Intermediate and Esperanza High School remained on soft lockdown with kids able to do work inside their class, though no one is outside or in the halls while police continue their search.

"La Paz Intermediate and Esperanza are on a soft lockdown, meaning classes resume, but no student movement about the campus," Lagaret said at approximately 1 p.m.

During the soft lockdown, this mother was able to check in and text with her daughter. "My daughter's classroom has returned to normal, and no one ever broke in," Maldonado said. "She did walk down the hall toward the bathroom and saw five police officers in the hallway."

Patch reported on a Citrus Heights, California arrest from 2013.

Lee was arrested, following a school lockdown search in the Sacramento area regarding a car theft and associated crimes, in that case.

Read: Citrus Heights Man Suspected In Roseville Stolen Vehicle Case

Lagaret had no information on why the suspect was wanted in the Sacramento area.

Mission Viejo and Orange County families and OCSD remain on alert for the suspect.

Ashley Ludwig contributed to this story.

This is a developing story. Refresh the page for more information / Image Via Patch File Photo