Downtown LA Jail Locked Down After A Mistaken Sighting Of Sought-After Shooting Suspect
But it was a false alarm, according to The Los Angeles Times' Jimmy Orr.
Former Los Angeles Police Department officer Christopher Dorner is suspected of killing the daughter of an LAPD captain and her fiancé before shooting three police officers, one of whom died.
Police have been scouring Big Bear, Calif., about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles, since Thursday following reports Dorner was in the area.
But Friday, a report surfaced saying somebody fitting Dorner's description was seen in the parking lot of the Twin Towers jail, according to KTLA 5.
Police immediately surrounded the building and closed off surrounding streets while they searched the facility, OCWeekly Blogs reported.
"Out of a preponderance of caution, we have locked down the jails and closed the street," Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore told The Los Angeles Times.
However, Whitmore cautioned the sighting could easily be a contractor or another jail employee who simply looked like Dorner.
Friday's incident wasn't the first hoax in the days-long search for Dorner..
San Diego County Sheriff's authorities received a call Thursday night claiming Dorner had been spotted near the Barona Indian Reservation but after hours of searching police declared the call to be a hoax, The Los Angeles Times' L.A. Now blog reported.