Town in fear as hunt for ex-cop continues

IRVINE, Calif. -- The search for a fugitive ex-police officer wanted in the slayings of three people took police to a San Fernando Valley home improvement store and to the home of a possible target in a quiet Southern California suburb.

Authorities have set a $1 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Christopher Dorner and small towns remained on edge from the din of police helicopters and cruisers staking out schools.

Authorities have been working to protect dozens of families in the area considered targets based on Dorner's Facebook rant against those he held responsible for ending his career with the Los Angeles Police Department five years ago.

Among those the 33-year-old Dorner is suspected of killing is a Riverside police officer, and on the fourth day of the manhunt, authorities put up a $1 million reward for information leading to his capture.

"Our dedication to catch this killer remains steadfast. Our confidence remains unshaken," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said at a news conference alongside police chiefs and mayors from Irvine and Riverside. "We will not tolerate this reign of terror."

Several tips came in within a few hours after the award announcement, including a reported Dorner sighting that had police surrounding and evacuating a Lowe's Home Improvement store in the San Fernando Valley, police spokesman Gus Villanueva said. A search of the store yielded no evidence that Dorner was there or had been there.

After days without resolution, Dorner's fugitive status caused concern among some and downright fear among others in Irvine, an upscale community that the FBI consistently ranks among the safest cities in the United States.

"If he did come around this corner, what could happen? We're in the crossfire, with the cops right there," said Irvine resident Joe Palacio.