Members of several law enforcement agencies remained in the mountains east of Los Angeles overnight as the search continued for a fired Los Angeles Police Department officer suspected in a series of revenge killings -- part of a plan outlined in an online manifesto that lists police officers and their families as targets.
Timeline: Revenge-Plot Slayings | Read: Full Manifesto | Map: Search Locations
The search for Christopher Dorner, identified Wednesday as a suspect in Sunday's shooting deaths of an Irvine couple, led from Riverside County to the San Bernardino Mountains when the 33-year-old's burned-out Nissan Titan was discovered south of Big Bear Lake. The vehicle was discovered Thursday morning after Dorner allegedly shot three police officers, killing one, in Riverside County.
The search continued in Big Bear and the surrounding area amid snow and overnight temperatures the low 20s. Winter weather advisories are in effect for the area late Thursday as law enforcement agents conducted door-to-door searches and canine units patrolled the mountain community.
"The search will continue, unless the weather gets to a point that it hampers the search," said Cindy Bachman, public information officer for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. "They searched quite a large area, and they've been out here for quite a while. It's very cold, and the conditions aren't very good."
At a news conference Thursday night, Bachman estimated that officers had visited about 50 percent of the 400 homes in the search grid. Tracks on the ground were discovered leading from Dorner's burned-out vehicle, but authorities have not indicated that there have been other signs of the suspect or whether he has ties to Big Bear.
The resort area includes many vacation homes that are not occupied year-round. The vacant homes will be checked for signs of break-ins.
"He could easily get into a cabin and lay low for weeks, and no one would even know it," said visitor Paul Bergmann.
An update regarding the search was scheduled for Friday at 9 a.m.
"We can't say for certain he's not in this area," Bachman said. "It's been extremely intense. We don't know what he's going to do -- we know what he's capable of doing."
Schools in Bear Valley Unified and Rim of the World school districts will be closed Friday.
Revenge-Plot Slayings Began in Irvine
Dorner, a former Navy reservist who was fired from the LAPD in 2008, outlined plans to kill law enforcement officers and their family members in a 11,400-word document posted online. In the document, Dorner addressed his reporting of a fellow officer for excessive use of force, and stated he wanted to get his "name back," and that the actions he was taking were his "last resort."
"The attacks will stop when the department states the truth about my innocence," Dorner writes in the manifesto.
Dorner, 33, was identified as a suspect Wednesday in the slayings of Monica Quan, 28, and her fiancé, Keith Lawrence, 27, who were fatally shot Sunday while sitting in their car on the top level of a parking structure in the 2100 block of Scholarship Drive, according to Irvine police. The couple left a Super Bowl party at about 7 p.m. and were found slumped over in their car about 9 p.m.
Quan's father was the first Asian-American to become an LAPD captain, and also worked on the Asian Gang Task Force. In an online manifesto, Dorner repeatedly refers to a Randy Quan as being involved in his 2008 firing.
The search led to Riverside County early Thursday after two LAPD officers -- part of a security detail assigned to one of the families mentioned in the Dorner manifesto -- encountered Dorner in Corona. He allegedly used a "shoulder-type" to fire on the officers, one of whom suffered a graze wound to the head.
Authorities said they believe Dorner has an arsenal that includes a semi-automatic rifle.
About 20 minutes after the Corona shooting, Dorner allegedly shot two Riverside officers, killing one. The deceased officer was identified as a father and military veteran.
About seven hours later, Dorner's burning pickup was discovered in the Big Bear area.