Two Kahala schools locked down classrooms and offices for hours yesterday while police officers searched on the ground and by air for two car-theft suspects who were believed to be armed.

No one was injured, but parents waited frantically outside Star of the Sea and Wilson Elementary schools as children peered anxiously out of classroom windows. The suspects are still at large, but police were able to catch a third suspect at Kahala Mall.

"It was scary," said Star of the Sea fourth-grader Taylor Lee, who showed a toothy grin as he walked out of the school with his grandmother about 5 p.m. yesterday. "We were at the snack bar and I heard someone yell 'lock down.' We ran to our classrooms."

The disturbance started about 2:30 p.m. when police officers spotted a car at Kahala Mall that had been stolen about an hour earlier near the Halona Blowhole lookout.

Police arrested one teenager after approaching the car, but two others fled and were seen running toward the schools. Police searched for the two by air and monitored streets.

They stopped searching about 5 p.m. yesterday.

Police Lt. Frank Fujii said the suspects also are believed to be involved in six robberies at about 7:50 yesterday morning of Mililani Middle and High School students. Fujii said the students were robbed as they were walking. Teenagers matching the description of the suspects in the car theft stole cash and cell phones, Fujii said.

He also said that one of the victims claimed the suspects had a gun.

Once the suspects fled toward the Kahala schools, police alerted administrators and children immediately were shuffled into classrooms.

At Star of the Sea, some parents who were picking their children up after school were also ordered to stay in locked classrooms. At Wilson Elementary, students in after-school programs were forced to stay because the disturbance happened shortly after the school-day ended, said state Department of Education spokesman Greg Knudsen.

John Nadler waited at the entrance to Star of the Sea yesterday for his wife and son, both of whom were locked-down in the school. Nadler said his wife was picking up his son when police escorted the two into a classroom and told them to lie on the floor.

"She didn't know what was going on," Nadler said. "They didn't know anything."

By about 4:30 p.m., parents at Star of the Sea were lining up to pick up their children, who were being escorted out by police officers and teachers. About the same time, Wilson Elementary School was given the all-clear to allow students to leave.

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.