15 Inmates Hurt in El Cajon Jail Fight

Fifteen inmates in the El Cajon jail suffered minor injuries Tuesday when an apparent racially motivated argument erupted into a fight in an overcrowded area of the detention facility.

Sgt. Bob Ramirez, a San Diego County Sheriff’s Department spokesman, said the fight apparently started about 1 p.m. when 15 black inmates “went after” a group of Latino and white inmates. He said the holding area where the incident occurred is designed for 24 inmates, but on Tuesday housed 112.

“The weapons used were bars of soap and socks and broom handles, and they went after the other inmates,” Ramirez said. “It was sporadic fighting for about 20 minutes until the deputies were able to completely control it.”

Ramirez said the deputies, carrying batons but not wearing riot gear, were able to get most of the inmates to return to their cells. Those who did not immediately cooperate were forced into other lockdown areas of the jail, he said.

The injured inmates were treated at several area hospitals, and later were returned to jail, he said.

Ramirez added that a new jail ban on smoking did not appear to be a cause of the fight.