Search for suspected car thief called off in Coachella

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has called off the search for a man suspected of stealing a vehicle in Coachella Tuesday morning.

Deputies and a sheriff’s helicopter began searching for the man near Avenue 52 and Harrison Street at 10 a.m. A door-to-door search took place for about an hour.

The search was called off around 11 a.m. after authorities couldn’t locate the suspect, according to Deputy Armando Munoz.

The sheriff’s department placed Bobby Duke Middle School on temporary lockdown as a precaution. The lockdown was lifted around 11 a.m. as soon as the search ended.

There was no further information available regarding the suspect or the stolen vehicle.

News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 will provide updates when we hear back from the sheriff’s department.