Manhunt under way for triple murder suspect

The California Highway Patrol issued a “blue alert” Thursday morning for nine counties, including Santa Barbara and Ventura, for a triple murder suspect.

According to The Associated Press, Los Angeles police say Christopher Dorner, a former Los Angeles Police officer, gunned down three Riverside police officers overnight and killed one of them.

Police say Dorner is also suspected in the killing of Monica Quan and her fiance, Keith Lawrence, Sunday in Orange County while sitting in their car.

Both had local ties.

Howard Davis, athletic director for Moorpark College, confirmed to NewsChannel 3 that Lawrence played basketball for the college for two years, from 2004 through 2006. His number was five.

Davis said Lawrence eventually trained at the Ventura County Police Academy and worked as an officer with the Oxnard Police Department before his stint at USC as a security officer.

Davis said Quan worked as an assistant girls’ basketball coach at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks.

Police say the violence is linked to an elaborate revenge plot against the LAPD and their families.

A police spokesperson says Quan was the daughter of a retired LAPD captain linked to Dorner’s dismissal from the department back in 2009.

The alert put out by the California Highway Patrol describes Dorner as a 33-year-old black man, 6 feet tall and 270 pounds. He was last seen driving a 2005 blue or gray Nissan Titan with ski racks.

CHP asks the public if you see the vehicle or Dorner to please contact Riverside Police Department at 951-787-7911.