An Orange County Sheriff’s deputy is recovering from stab wounds Wednesday and the suspect is at large following the attack in San Clemente.
Orange County sheriff’s deputies were scouring a San Clemente neighborhood for a man suspected of stabbing the deputy on patrol.
The deputy, on patrol with a partner conducting homeless outreach, was assaulted at about 2:15 p.m. Tuesday in the area of Avenida Pico and Calle de Los Molinos, according to spokeswoman Carrie Braun of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
The deputy was taken to a hospital with a stab wound to the neck, but her wounds were not considered life-threatening, Orange County sheriff’s Sgt. Matt Timmins said.
“He [the suspect] stabbed at her and she was just able to get out of the way,” Sgt. Matthew Parrish of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department told Fox 11.
The suspect was described as a white man in his mid-30s, who is about 5-feet-10 and weighs about 160 pounds with brown hair, blue eyes and a beard, Braun said. He was wearing a black jacket and dark pants and was last seen running toward a storm drain at Pico and El Camino Real.
Anyone who sees the suspect was directed to call 911 and to not approach him, Braun said.
Students at nearby San Clemente High School and Las Palmas Elementary School sheltered in place during a search for the suspect, Braun added.