Fight at Work Site Sends 2 Men to Hospitals

An argument between two construction workers in Ventura on Wednesday ended with both men in area hospitals, one with a broken leg, the other facing surgery to save his right eye, police said.

Oxnard residents James Gonzales, 33, and Charles Brown, 49, were at work near Spinnaker Drive and Angler Court at 11:15 a.m. when they began arguing about the merits of unions, police said. Gonzales called Brown, an African American, a racial epithet, according to Ventura Police Sgt. Bill Bogner.

Brown then chased Gonzales, who tripped over a stack of construction materials and broke his leg, Bogner said. As Brown held a knife to Gonzales’ throat and told him not to use the word again, a co-worker struck Brown on the right side of his head with a concrete brick, seriously injuring his eye, Bogner said.

“He apparently saw what was going on and assumed the situation could lead to more violence,” Bogner said.

Gonzales was taken to Ventura County Medical Center, where he was treated and released, Bogner said. Brown was taken to Community Memorial Hospital, where he was scheduled to undergo surgery Wednesday evening, hospital officials said.

Police have not arrested anyone in connection with the incident, but an investigation is continuing, Bogner said.