Updates with name of suspect; suspect’s previous criminal background; status of the search; corrects that there is one suspect, and no one is in custody

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies are searching for a suspect in Newhall in connection with an officer-involved shooting this morning, officials said. 

Sheriff’s officials are reportedly looking for a Newhall man named Jesse Tucker, 29, in connection with the incident.

Tucker allegedly stole a truck from gardeners while they were landscaping in the the 25200 block of The Old Road in Stevenson Ranch.

Tucker was driving around in a white F-150 reported stolen and, according to witnesses, Tucker was trying to sell stolen gardening equipment when a deputy spotted Tucker around the 21000 block of Oakriver Lane in Newhall.

Deputies were trying to detain the driver for questioning regarding the alleged car theft when he allegedly tried to run over the officer. The deputy fired a round at the truck.

The incident began at 8:46 a.m. Oakriver Lane in Newhall, officials said. Deputies recovered the truck after finding Tucker, who fled on foot.

Two schools were briefly on lock down, Our Lady of Perpetual Help and McGrath, are no longer on lock down, but extra deputies are still in the area on patrol, according to Deputy Josh Dubin of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

Deputies no longer believe Tucker is in the immediate area of the initial search. There will be additional patrols in the time being, he said.

Deputies  placed two elementary schools on lock down as a precautionary measure.

The deputy was not injured, and it’s unknown if the suspect was hurt by the deputy’s fire because he fled the scene on foot.

K9 and helicopter units were called to assist deputies’ search.

Tucker has had numerous run-ins with the criminal justice system, according to court records.

He was convicted of vandalism in October 2003, and then again in January 2004. He was convicted of narcotics possession in January 2006, according to court records available online. He was convicted again of the same charge in March 2006.

In August 2006, he was convicted for illegal possession of drug paraphernalia, to wit, hypodermic needles. In August 2009, he was convicted of grand theft auto in December 2009.

He was convicted of felony theft in January 2012. He was convicted of driving without a license and evading arrested in June 2012.

He served six months in jail for the most recent charges, according to Sheriff’s Department records. He had a warrant out for his arrest at the time of his alleged crimes Monday morning.

UPDATE 11:33 a.m.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help School was also put on a precautionary lockdown, officials said.