Strangling suspect found on hillside

A Nevada man wanted by police for allegedly attacking his estranged wife in Newport Beach was arrested Thursday, but not before fleeing the scene and causing four local schools to lockdown while police searched the area.

Police said Mark Ward, 47, was at his wife’s home and choked her when a neighbor walked in, responding to her screams.

Ward fled through the rear of the apartment, triggering nearby schools to lock down their campuses and keep students and faculty indoors.

Ward was found on a hillside near Lighthouse Lane, a residential street near San Joaquin Hills Road not far from Lincoln Elementary School in Corona del Mar.

He was booked on suspicion of attempted murder for the attack, police said. He’s being held in lieu of $1 million bail. No court date had been set as of Friday evening.

—Joseph Serna