An attempted car theft at a Clovis apartment complex set off a one-mile foot chase that ended with police arresting an 18-year-old on the campus of an elementary school, prompting two area school lockdowns and a shelter-in-place order before officers called off the alert. Isaac Paradise, a Clovis resident, now faces several felony charges after the Tuesday morning incident near Sunnyside and Shaw Avenues.
Clovis police officers responded just after 9:30 a.m. to an apartment complex in that area after getting a report of a suspect trying to steal a car, according to KMPH. Witnesses told police the suspect ran toward Clovis Avenue as officers moved in, and the pursuit that followed stretched roughly a mile on foot, according to the New York Post.
Police said they got help from a Drone First Responder and the Fresno Police Department's helicopter as officers searched for the suspect. Officers eventually located and arrested Paradise after he ran onto the campus of Sierra Vista Elementary School at Barstow and Pollasky, the station reported.
Three Schools Affected as Police Activity Unfolded
Sierra Vista Elementary was placed on a brief lockdown because of the police activity on and around campus, per the same account. School staff also placed Clark Intermediate on a shelter-in-place order and put Our Lady of Perpetual Help on lockdown while officers worked the scene nearby.
Both lockdowns and the shelter-in-place order were lifted once it was determined to be safe, the report notes. Sierra Vista Elementary returned to normal operations after police concluded their work on campus, according to district spokesperson Kelly Avants, as cited by the Post.
Second Theft Attempt Uncovered, Property Returned
During a search of Paradise's property, officers said they found evidence connected to another attempted grand theft of a vehicle at a neighboring apartment complex, per the report. Police said all stolen property was returned to the victims.
Paradise was booked into Fresno County Jail and is facing several felonies, according to the KMPH account.
