A mountain lion was sedated and captured by Fish and Wildlife officials after it was spotted Monday roaming a residential neighborhood in Escondido, police said.
The incident was first reported Monday afternoon when Escondido police posted on social media that the animal had been spotted on North Grape Street near Mission Avenue, a dense urban neighborhood of houses and apartment buildings.
“The animal is currently loose but stationary and has not moved from its current location at this time,” Escondido police said on Instagram.
Officers said they were monitoring the big cat on the ground and using drones.
Around 7:10 p.m., officials said the mountain lion had been sedated and secured. Police said they would remain at the scene to conduct crowd control for residents who had come to the scene.