Regional task force search for parolee fails to find suspect

By Doug Spoon, Editor

A regional police task force conducted a search for a suspect with officers on the ground and in a helicopter Wednesday in Menifee but the search was unsuccessful, authorities said.

Menifee 24/7 received reports of a police helicopter circling over the area around McCall Boulevard and Sun City Boulevard about 1 p.m. One resident stated that the helicopter was announcing that residents should stay inside their homes. This search was not conducted by the Menifee Police Department or Sheriff’s Department, however.

The operation was conducted by the Post-Release Accountability and Compliance Team (PACT), a multi-agency task force “created to monitor and enforce conditions for individuals released from state prison under Post-Release Community Supervision,” according to the Riverside County Community Corrections Partnership. In this case, the operation was directed by the Hemet Police Department.

“A parole compliance check was conducted and the suspect took off,” said Sgt. Lloyd Sanderson of the Hemet PD about the search in Menifee. “He broke the perimeter of the search area.”

Operations like this are conducted on a regular basis in attempts to reintegrate individuals released under AB 109, which gave counties the responsibility for this kind of supervision.

As a precaution during the search, Hans Christensen Middle School was placed on Secure Campus status by the Menifee Police Department, said Devina Ortega, director of communications for the Menifee Union School District. The Seecure Campus hold was lifted at approximately 2:06 p.m.