Isbell Middle School placed on lockdown as law enforcement searched area for wanted man who remains at large

SANTA PAULA, Calif. – Isbell Middle School was placed on lockdown in connection to a law enforcement search for a man connected to a September 18 shooting near the 12th Street bridge who remains at large.

The man, Maximo Hernandez, 34, of Santa Paula, was believed to be staying at the Harvard Motel across Harvard Boulevard from the school detailed the Ventura County Sheriff's Office in a press release Friday.

After a room-by-room search of the Motel, Hernandez remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous stated the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

According to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, he is described as about 5 foot, four inches and 150 pounds and has three distinctive tattoos.

One tattoo is on his neck and says "BC", another is on the right side of his head and says "Jonathan", and a tattoo on his left forearm says, "Hecho en Mexico" with an eagle detailed the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

Anyone with information about Hernandez's whereabouts is asked to contact the Ventura County Sheriff's Office at 805-654-9511, or, you can report your information while remaining anonymous by calling 800-222-8477.

Additionally, tipsters can email Detective Dustin Heershe at dustin.heersche@ventura.org or Detective John Grunhold at john.grunhold@ventura.org.

While a large response of specialized law enforcement searched the Motel, Isbell Middle School was placed on a lockdown as a precautionary measure and those protocols were lifted around 1 p.m. and normal school operations resumed shared the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

According to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, Hernandez is wanted in connection with a shooting on Sep. 18, 2024, in the unincorporated area of Santa Paula near the 12th Street bridge.

Deputies searched the Santa Clara riverbed at the time of the shooting, but were unable to locate Hernandez who is believed to be in possession of the gun used in that shooting explained the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.