7-Hour Police Search in Menifee Results in No Arrests on Site

Officers and police dogs are poised outside the west wall of a residence on Murrieta Road in Menifee Tuesday.

Story updated at noon on Wednesday, June 11:

A Riverside County Sheriff's Department spokesman said this morning that no arrests were made during the search of a rural residence Tuesday night that closed off a portion of Murrieta Road for more than seven hours. However, an L.A. County Sheriff's Department Homicide detective confirmed that an arrest was made at another location and other suspects are still at large in connection with a murder case.

Deputy Albert Martinez said that Riverside County Sheriff's deputies provided assistance for a specialized unit from L.A. County in serving a search warrant in the 26400 block of Murrieta Road, just north of McLaughlin road. The search was concluded about 11 p.m. with no one taken into custody on site.

"Nobody was arrested," Martinez said. "Apparently, the person they were looking for was not there. It took so long because it was a large property to search. The occupants were cooperative.

"It was not a standoff. The suspect was not located."

There was an arrest made at another location about 5 p.m. Tuesday, said L.A. County homicide detective Brandt House. He declined to give details because the investigation is ongoing.

Reports of police activity first came in to Menifee 24/7 from residents about 4 p.m. Heavily armed officers and K-9 units were positioned in front of the residence. Menifee Police established road blocks of Murrieta Road at McLaughlin Road to the south and Ethanac Road to the north. Additional deputies positioned themselves to the rear of the rural property on the west side. A police helicopter circled overhead for hours.

As daylight faded, there was no sign of activity within the compound. Officers on site would say only that they were searching for someone, and public information officers had no statement to release at that time. The situation stayed pretty much the same until just after 11 p.m.

At that point, police dogs were heard barking from inside the compound and there were signs of activity from beyond the walls of the property. A searchlight from the helicopter focused on the area. Within minutes, however, most of the police units had departed and the area was declared safe. Officers on site reported at the time only that the "situation was resolved."

Menifee 24/7 will update this story when we receive additional information.

Members of a Sheriffs Department fugitive recovery team wait outside a Menifee residence during a seven-hour search Tuesday night.