Crime & Safety
Water Tower Jumper Cause Of SIGAlert; Elementary School Lockout
A man threatened to jump from a water tower in Orange County.
SANTA ANA, CA — A historic water tower near the Santa Ana Freeway was the scene of police activity on Tuesday, authorities in Santa Ana said. A man climbed 40 feet up a historic water tower near the Santa Ana (5) Freeway Tuesday, apparently threatening to jump. As of 2 p.m. the man was reported by witnesses as having a drone, and refusing to climb down.
Santa Ana police negotiated with the man to have him ultimately descend the tower hours later.
Penn Way was closed in a SIG alert. Drivers were asked to avoid the area.
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Breaking: Santa Ana Police negotiating with man on top of water tower. He has black backpack and a drone. Refuses to come down. pic.twitter.com/zKTBj5z9jg
— Kelly Puente (@KellyPuenteOC) August 22, 2017
Police were called at just after 11:45 a.m. about a man dressed in black on the water tower at 1500 block of Penn Way, according to Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.
Concerned the man was threatening to jump, negotiators were dispatched to try to talk him down, Bertagna said.
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Nearby Davis Elementary School, 1405 French St., was placed in "lockout" mode, said Deidra Powell, a spokeswoman for the Santa Ana Unified School District.
Davis school in SA is on lock out while ofcs deal with suspicious person loitering on water tower near Penn Way. Avoid area @SantaAnaPD pic.twitter.com/RBjjVYgiPp
— Commander J Gonzalez (@CmdrGonz) August 22, 2017
"They have the kids locked in while they get whoever that is to come down," Powell said.
Image via Santa Ana Police
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