UPDATE: Monrovia Shooting Rumor a False Alarm

No shootings were reported in Monrovia Tuesday despite a persistent rumor that may have been based on a heavy police response to a disturbance in a local neighborhood, police said.

Police responded to an area near the intersection of Huntington Drive and Highway Esplanade late Tuesday afternoon after reports of a confrontation between residents and a man who was seen peering into vehicles, Chief Jim Hunt said Wednesday.

"What we had was some residents saw a guy that was looking into cars in a carport area so they confronted him because they thought he was trying to steal things out of vehicles," Hunt said.

Several residents reported to Patch via email and Twitter that a shooting may have taken place, but Hunt said that no shots were ever fired during the confrontation.

Police were called and the man took off on a bicycle before abandoning it and escaping on foot, Hunt said. A police helicopter was dispatched to search for him but he could not be found.

The man was described as a Hispanic in his 20s with a "D" tattoo on his head. He was wearing blue basketball shorts. Residents suspected that he was involved in a gang because of his appearance, Hunt said, but no gang affiliation was confirmed.