Deputies Break Up Fights Involving 120 Jail Inmates

More than 120 inmates were involved in a series of racially motivated fights at Peter J. Pitchess Honor Rancho this weekend, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Two of the inmates were wounded badly enough to be taken to hospitals. About 25 others received minor injuries in the fights, which broke out late Saturday night in the prison’s maximum security facility--North County Correctional Center--between African-American and Latino inmates, said Deputy Ron Weber.

By late Sunday morning the situation was calm enough for visitations and other prison functions to go on as normal, Weber said.

“We are not sure what started the fights,” he said. “There will be an investigation.”

The first fight, involving 21 inmates, began at 5:50 p.m. and was broken up by jail deputies with the use of pepper spray, Weber said.

One inmate who suffered a stab wound was sent to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for treatment.

Four more fights followed, the last about 1:15 a.m. Weber said. The other prisoner to be seriously injured suffered a blow to the head and was taken to the hospital in the Men’s Central Jail downtown.

In addition to the pepper spray, deputies used sting-ball grenades--which release numerous small rubber projectiles when detonated--to quell the disturbances. Weber said none of the inmate injuries were caused by the deputies.