Man allegedly armed with machete arrested on Castle Park High soccer field

A 27-year-old man armed with a machete was arrested Monday morning by Chula Vista police after he jumped a fence and went onto a soccer field at Castle Park High School, officials said.

Police were called by several people around 8:15 a.m. who reported a man carrying a machete walking through the neighborhood around Theresa Way and East Prospect Street. Officers responded and saw the fleeing man, who was wearing what was described as a silver or gray tarp, climb a fence and run to the northeast end of the school, Chula Vista police Lt. Frank Giame said.

“He got on campus — he jumped a locked fence. But he didn’t threaten any students; the northeast corner is on an upper field away from any of the classrooms,” he said.

The school was placed on lockdown, and police quickly caught up to the man.

“He held (the machete) in a threatening manner toward officers and was Tased,” Giame said.

The man was taken into custody, and paramedics took him to a hospital to be checked out. The lockdown was lifted after medics arrived, Giame said.

The man was arrested on suspicion of burglary, taking a weapon onto a campus and displaying a knife. No other details were immediately available.