Community Shocked by Attack on San Clemente Youth : Violence: High school student remains in critical condition after rod was removed from his head. Parents and classmates are fearful following assault by reputed gang members at beach park.

As 17-year-old Steve Woods lay in a coma Monday--his prognosis still grim following the removal of a metal rod lodged in his skull--anxious parents flooded the sheriff’s office and San Clemente High School with questions about gangs, violence and what has become of their community.

Counselors fanned out across the high school to meet with students, particularly Woods’ classmates. About 30 parents passed out green ribbons reading “Stop Youth Violence. Support Steve,” while student leaders plastered the campus with “Stop the Violence” posters.

“There are lots of emotions to deal with here,” said Orange County sheriff’s Lt. Tom Davis, whose children attend San Clemente High. “Parents are angry and fearful. They say their kids have nightmares and can’t sleep. They want to know if they can take matters into their own hands.”

The school was in shock following reports that a gantlet of alleged gang members stood at the exit of a county park in San Clemente Friday night and pelted four carloads of students with beer bottles, rocks, even a tennis racket, as the youths attempted to speed away. Sheriff’s officials say the attack on the teen-agers apparently was unprovoked.

Amid the frenzy, someone plunged a metal paint roller rod into the skull of Woods, a popular high school senior who had joined friends in the parking lot of the park to relax after a football game.

Within seven hours, the first of nine suspects--all of whom police have linked to the San Clemente Varrio Chico gang--was taken into custody as he arrived home about 5 a.m. Saturday.

Twelve hours later, the last suspect was apprehended at a relative’s house in San Clemente. Arturo Villalobos, 20, who was carrying a backpack, had been planning to flee to Mexico, police said.

Five juveniles--four of them San Clemente High students--were arrested, along with four adults: Villalobos; Juan Alcoser Enriquez, 20; Pascual Guerrero Bonilla, 19, and Balfred Brito, 19.

The adults were charged with attempted murder and are being held in Orange County Jail on $250,000 bail each. The juveniles--three 17-year-olds and two 16-year-olds--were being held on suspicion of attempted murder at Juvenile Hall. Their names were not released because of their ages. All the suspects live in San Clemente. Authorities said no other arrests are planned.

The San Clemente Varrio Chico--a variation of the name barrio chico , or small neighborhood, is well-known in southern Orange County for its decade-long feuds with the San Juan Boys, a rival gang out of San Juan Capistrano.

The rivalry resulted in the unintentional shooting of a 4-year-old girl on Christmas Eve in 1989 and the shooting death of a 26-year-old San Clemente Varrio Chico gang member in 1990.

The nine arrested Saturday are part of an “up-and-coming generation” who had been involved in the gang as members or affiliates for the past couple of years, said sheriff’s Sgt. Russ Moore.

At least two of the four adults were on probation for misdemeanor assault charges at the time of their arrests Saturday.

A woman who identified herself as Blanca, the 25-year-old sister of Pascual Guerrero Bonilla, said she thinks her brother was arrested because he may know one of the youths involved in the attack. She said he was home asleep at 10 p.m. Friday when the incident occurred and that her brother has never been involved in any violence.

“The police must be lying. He never got in trouble (with the law),” she said. “He just got speeding tickets sometimes. He hasn’t had any problems.”

She said the family came from Guanajuato, Mexico, seven years ago and that her brother, one of eight children, worked as a janitor at a nearby restaurant.

Although the attack on Woods stunned San Clemente, a seaside town of 43,000, it has been especially hard for students and staff at San Clemente High, where Woods is well-liked.

Jenny Verti, president of the student body, said she noticed that students were “really down” about the crime, and many were upset that they no longer feel safe going to the beach at night.

Woods’ family and friends continued to hold a vigil in a waiting room at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center.

A hospital spokesman said Woods, who was breathing with the aid of a ventilator, remained in critical condition.

Times staff writers Jeff Brazil, Alicia Di Rado and Lily Dizon and correspondent Frank Messina contributed to this report.