Law enforcement teams evacuated a motel, placed a middle school on lockdown and shut down a main road during the search for a Santa Paula shooting suspect on Friday.
The suspect, 34-year-old Maximo Hernandez of Santa Paula, still remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
On Friday, officers learned Hernandez was staying at the Harvard Motel at 482 Harvard Blvd. and believed he was still in possession of the firearm he used in the Sept. 18 shooting.
A large number of responders, including sheriff’s deputies, a K9 Unit and a SWAT team, evacuated the motel while teams conducted a room-by-room search.
The operation shut down the main thoroughfare at the 400 block of Harvard Boulevard, located near the Santa Paula Airport, from 9 a.m. to about 12:40 p.m.
At the time, Isbell Middle School was still in session across the street, so law enforcement officials also placed the school on lockdown as a precautionary measure.
The lockdown was lifted around 1 p.m. and officials said the school resumed normal operations.
Officials did not find Hernandez. The sheriff’s office said the 34-year-old is currently wanted for allegedly shooting a victim he knew on Sept. 18 around 10 a.m. outside the city limits of Santa Paula.
The victim was hospitalized and treated for non-life-threatening injuries and has since been released.
Detectives describe Hernandez as a Hispanic male, about 5 feet 4 inches tall and 150 pounds. He has at least three tattoos: one on his neck that says “BC,” one on the right side of his head that says “Jonathan,” and one on his left forearm that says “Hecho en Mexico” with an eagle.
Investigators ask anyone who might know the whereabouts of Hernandez to call the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office at 805-654-9511, 911, or Ventura County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477). Callers can remain anonymous.
Tips can also be emailed to Detective Dustin Heersche at dustin.heersche@ventura.org or Detective John Grunhold at john.grunhold@ventura.org.