VIDEO: Search for Car Theft Suspect Locks Down Cerritos Neighborhood, Suspect Remains at Large

An intense foot and air search for an alleged car thief put a portion of a Cerritos on lockdown today after the suspect abandoned the stolen vehicle and ran into a residential area near , according to a sheriff's lieutenant.

The incident began just after 4 p.m. when the  received a call that a Nissan Sentra had been stolen outside a business in the 16200 block of Marquardt Avenue near Midway Street, Lt. J. Deedrick said.

A short time later, a Cerritos deputy spotted the man parking the stolen car in the northeast corner of the  parking lot on Artesia Boulevard, Deedrick said.

After making eye contact with the deputy, the suspect immediately abandoned the car and fled into the neighborhood located just west of the shopping center, a deputy told Patch at the scene.

A search for the suspect ensued within a contained area bordering Artesia Boulevard, Pires Avenue and Beach Street. Deputies also received assistance from the sheriff's Norwalk and Lakewood stations along with help from K-9 and air units, Deedrick said. There were roughly 16 deputies involved in the operation, the lieutenant added.

Deedrick said it was unclear whether the suspect was armed with a weapon, but pointed out that "no violence"  took place when the deputy first encountered the suspect. He also added that the department was erring with caution to ensure the safety of area residents. 

"That's why we try do an exhaustive search, to make sure the suspect is still not in there," he added.

Units were unable to locate the suspect as of about 6:30 p.m., and later converged at the sheriff's command post in a parking lot on the southwest corner of Carmenita Road and Artesia Boulevard near .

Suspect Description

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male who appears to be 30 to 35, and between 6 feet to 6 feet 2 inches tall. He was last seen wearing a dark baseball hat and dark shirt. Anyone with information on the car theft or the suspect is asked to call the sheriff's Cerritos Station at (562) 860-0044.

2011 Crime in Cerritos

During the extensive search, some residents drove by the command post concerned about the police activity nearby.

"What's going on? I live in that neighborhood," a woman who was riding in the car with her teenage daughter asked. "Is it safe for us to go home?"

Cerritos is known for its relatively with Petty Theft and Vehicle Burglaries being the most common occurrences of crime in 2011 thus far. Deedrick says car theft is actually "not very common," in the City.

According to Cerritos crime statistics for 2011, there have been 79 cars reported stolen through the end of April, and the current weekly average for car thefts stands at 2.6.

"Cerritos is very lucky to be one of the safest cities in Southern California," Deedrick told Patch.