Sheriff’s deputies are searching for a young male suspect who is possibly armed with a knife in the Via Real and Poplar Avenue area of Carpinteria, spokeswoman Kelly Hoover confirmed.
Just after 4 p.m., children at an apartment complex pool observed a man with a knife on his person, Hoover said. They told their parents, who called the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
“Deputies responded and the suspect ran off when he saw the Sheriff’s deputies,” Hoover said. “He jumped a fence and ran into an orchard field.”
A K-9 unit responded along with a helicopter to search the area but they weren’t able to locate the suspect.
He didn’t threaten anyone and no one was hurt, “but it’s unclear why he ran from Sheriff’s deputies,” Hoover said.
The perimeter was cleared and search ended just after 5:30 p.m.
The suspect was described as a 30-year-old white male with short hair wearing a black hat, blue sweater or shirt, a black hat, black pants and a black backpack.
— Noozhawk news editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.