SANTA MARIA - A Santa Maria man is in jail after leading police on a tense game of hide and seek through a Santa Maria neighborhood.
The search for the wanted suspect, 24 year old Jonathan Hays, put the 1600 block of McClelland Street near the intersection of Donovan Road on lockdown until officers found him in a tight spot.
Our news crew was first on the scene after a Santa Maria Police officer spotted Hays walking along North Broadway earlier today.
Police say Hays took off running, jumping from backyard to backyard of nearby homes.
Santa Maria Police sealed off East Jewel and East Donovan between Via Rubio and McClelland Streets.
Officers and a police dog eventually were able to capture hays who was found hiding in a backyard hot water heater.
"I was telling the officers there's spots back here that he can hide", says homeowner Gina Cruz who witnessed Hays' arrest, "yep, they found him right when I was right there, I saw a dog, and everything, he was on top of the heater so it was pretty hot in there, he came out all sweaty looking."
Noone was hurt during the 90 minute police search.
Hays was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on a felony parole violation and for being in possession of a controlled substance.
