For many, unease follows attack

Emilio Pureco's three kids munched cotton candy and watched wide-eyed as 12 hanging cages whipped Sonoma County fairgoers high into the air Wednesday night.

Nearby were four Santa Rosa police officers and two private security guards -- part of an increased security presence after an opening-night stabbing near the Zipper ride, which was holding Puerco's children awestruck.

"I saw the police as soon as we walked in," Puerco said in Spanish. "It makes us feel safe, definitely. And I'm keeping my kids close to me. I'm holding them tight."

The Tuesday night fight between rival gang members left a 13-year-old Santa Rosa resident with a knife wound to his leg.

The stabbing was one of several altercations at the fair Tuesday, witnesses said, and brought into question the level of security for an event that attracted a first-day crowd of more than 25,000, a 20 percent increase over last year.

"We must have broke up three or four fights between gang-bangers and people out there who want to have fun, who were being harassed," said Peter Fetters of Santa Rosa, who attended the fair with his children Tuesday night.

Fetters said he and others did not see police or security officers during those altercations.

"That was probably the most disturbing thing," Fetters said. "We will never bring our kids back, not until the police start sending a gang unit out there."

Police had extra officers at the carnival area and around the fairgrounds Wednesday. The carnival area is where the stabbing occurred, shortly after 8:30 p.m., police said.

No arrests have been made, but Sgt. Lisa Banayat said police were following leads Wednesday.

Banayat said the teenager was in stable condition, and the wound was not life-threatening. She did not release his identity.

"It is unfortunate. The fair is all about kids and community. There are these few bad apples out there who hopefully will not discourage people from coming," said Tawny Tesconi, the fair manager.

Tesconi said the incident occurred despite what she said was already a strong presence of both private security and Santa Rosa police.

Police had 14 officers at the fair Wednesday night, including Chief Ed Flint. Members of the county's gang task force were on duty as well.

"Anywhere where you have these kinds of festivities and alcohol something's going to happen, particularly in the first two nights," Flint said. "That's when we set expectations for behavior. After that it calms down."

Tesconi said 22 private security officers also are patrolling the grounds.

The fair this year cut back on the contract with the security company V&G Event Services. But Tesconi said the reduction affects only the number of security workers outside the main grounds, at such areas as the recreational vehicle lot or the horse gate.

V&G Event Services declined to comment.

"I was out on the carnival lot all last night. In my opinion, the private security was doing its job, and you couldn't go more than 100 feet without running into a police officer," Tesconi said of opening night.

"They work in zones, and they did a good job of it."

But some fairgoers had a different view.

Elaine Garner of Petaluma said there was a fist fight about 3 p.m. near the carnival, an altercation that lasted more than 15 minutes. She said there was no security, and none of the vendors seemed to know how to summon help.

"The stabbing doesn't surprise me at all, there was no one there to stop anything," Garner said. "It's really sad."

The stabbing was the first serious incident at the fair since 2005, when police limited fair hours because of fights and large crowds.

Police said Tuesday's stabbing occurred when the victim and a friend, also a Santa Rosa resident, were confronted by rival gang members and challenged to fight.

The group eventually attacked the pair while yelling gang names and epithets, police said.

Fairgoers entering the grounds are subjected to a metal detector, which has been in use for about 10 years.

Tesconi said the detectors would have found a knife, but the weapon also could have been thrown over the fairgrounds fence.

You can reach Staff Writer Bob Norberg at 521-5206 or bob.norberg@pressdeocrat.

com.