Brawl leads to lockdown at O.C. jail

The Men’s Central Jail in Orange County remained on lockdown today after a brawl involving more than a dozen black and Latino inmates, sheriff’s officials said.

Inmates were confined to their cells late Friday after a brawl that began in a dorm housing about 100 inmates, Sheriff’s Capt. Roland Chacon said.

The fight resulted from an incident two weeks ago at another facility over what Chacon characterized as “an issue of disrespect.”

Eleven inmates suffered minor injuries, including cuts and bruises, he said. Another was sent to the hospital for stitches. But the presence of deputies was enough to quell the violence, Chacon said.

Over the weekend, jail officials canceled weekend visits to the jail and fed inmates in their cells. Chacon said the situation was being evaluated day by day, and the lockdown would be lifted based on intelligence and ongoing interviews with those on the inside.

andrew.blankstein@latimes.com