Bikers’ Trade Shows Ends in Brawl; Man, 38, Killed
A trade show sponsored by the Easy Riders motorcycle club and featuring vintage and modern bikes, ended in a brawl in the Queen Mary parking lot Saturday night, with helmeted riot police called in to restore order.
One man was stabbed to death but no one was immediately arrested for his murder, said Long Beach Police Cpl. Paul Sanford.
The dead man was identified as Aristeo Andres Carbajal, 38, of Fontana, said Wendy Kuran, spokesperson for St. Mary Medical Center. He died from a stab wound to his chest, which also hit his heart, she said. No one else was treated for injuries.
The incident began about 7:26 p.m. after an uneventful day, said Rich Kerlin, manager of publicity for the Queen Mary complex. About 200 exhibitors had displayed their motorcycles, helmets, jackets and other paraphernalia to an unexpectedly large crowd of about 3,000, he said, adding that it was the first time either the motorcycle club or the Queen Mary complex had hosted such a convention.
“It was going smoothly, without a hitch,” Kerlin said, until the fight started. “As far as I can tell, it seemed like a group had an altercation with another group and that’s basically all I know.”
The three-day event began Friday night, but Kerlin said it was “highly unlikely” it would be allowed to resume today.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
