Sheriff: Gang fights at Windsor High football game lead to arrests, injuries

Two adults were arrested after about 20 youths from rival gangs and some of their parents got into fights at different locations during the Windsor High School football game Friday night, authorities said.

Two juveniles were injured in the pair of melees, one suffered a cut to his head after he was hit with a blunt object, the second suffered a leg injury, first responders said. Both were taken to local hospitals.

The first fight broke out near the entrance gate at the school, but had nothing to do with the game, according to Sonoma County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Juan Valencia.

After the school resource officer and other Windsor deputies intervened, the juveniles dispersed, running through Keiser Park, according to a post on the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

Within 35 minutes of the first fight, deputies responded to Binggelli Drive and Starr View Drive after multiple 911 callers reported a group of 20-30 people were threatening to shoot each other and were fighting with bats, officials said.

After deputies arrived, the majority of the crowd, which appeared to involve participants in the first incident, dispersed.

“It was determined that half of the juveniles had responded to this area to seek retribution for the initial fight,” said Windsor Police Sgt. Jeffery Toney, who wrote the report posted on Facebook.

Two adult suspects were arrested on suspicion of battery for their involvement in the second fight. They were identified as Lydia Garcia, 60, and Sophelia Gomes, 41, both of Windsor. They were booked into the Sonoma County jail, according to the report.

The football players weren’t on the playing field when the fights broke out, according to Brian Williams, Windsor High School’s principal. That night, players convened at another field during half-time, which was around the time the fights started.

By the time the players returned, the area where the fights were, had been cleared.

“The football players didn’t know what was going on or that it was a big incident,” Williams said. “They were pretty focused on the game.”

On Monday, school officials will interview students who were recorded in a video of Friday’s incidents, Williams said.

“I just hope the kids that were injured are safe and that there isn’t further retaliation from this,” the principal added.

You can reach Staff Writer Kathleen Coates at kathleen.coates@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5209.

You can reach Staff Writer Mya Constantino at mya.constantino@pressdemocrat.com. @searchingformya on Twitter.