SANTA CLARITA : Magic Mountain, City Study What Went Wrong
While Magic Mountain representatives met with sheriff’s officials Monday to review Saturday’s twin outbreaks of violence, vandalism and looting, Santa Clarita officials began sorting out what for them was a weekend of communication breakdowns and rampant rumors.
During the melees at the theme park, officials in neighboring Santa Clarita had difficulty getting in touch with each other and with law enforcement agencies, and there was no central source of information, city officials said.
The city’s bus lines shut down during the melees, City Manager George Caravalho said, but he did not know who made the decision to close the service.
“We have a real problem with a lack of communication,” said City Councilwoman Jill Klajic, whose 13-year-old daughter was at Magic Mountain at the time. “We couldn’t get accurate information quickly.”
Hundreds of youths rampaged through the park and nearby businesses Saturday, first in the afternoon and again at night, leading to dozens of minor injuries and three arrests.
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.
