Sheriff's Detective Injured in Struggle with Suspected Drug Dealer in Ramona

A sheriff's detective suffered minor injuries Wednesday in a struggle with a suspected drug dealer in an East County neighborhood, authorities reported.

The scuffle occurred shortly after 9:30 a.m., when deputies tried to arrest Luis Juarez in downtown Ramona on suspicion of selling narcotics, sheriff's Sgt. John Boyce said.

Juarez, 23, allegedly fought with the deputies, broke free and ran off into the surrounding residential area, prompting them to set up a perimeter and notify the administrations of nearby Ramona Elementary and Montecito High schools.

The campuses, both of which are on summer break, went into lockdown as a precaution for the staffers working there, Boyce said.

Deputies searched for the suspect on the ground and aboard a sheriff's helicopter, finding him in the 600 block of E Street about 11 a.m. Juarez was expected to be booked into county jail on suspicion of narcotics sales and resisting arrest, the sergeant said.

—City News Service