Chula Vista

Six inmates were injured Tuesday in a racially motivated riot at County Jail in Chula Vista, the Sheriff’s Department reported.

The disturbance broke out shortly after noon with a dispute between black and Latino inmates over control of a television set in Module 4A, said a Sheriff’s Department spokesman. The fight escalated into a riot involving 30 to 40 of the 102 inmates in the module, with the prisoners using handmade knives, broom handles and mop handles to attack each other, the spokesman said. The module where the fight occurred was designed to house only 24 people.

The actual fighting only lasted about 10 minutes, but order was not restored until shortly after 12:30 p.m., the spokesman said. No deputies were injured in the fracas.

One prisoner was stabbed in the abdomen and was admitted to UC San Diego Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition late Tuesday. Five others were taken to area hospitals, treated and released, the spokesman said.

The Sheriff’s Department is investigating and will decide whether to transfer or prosecute the inmates involved.