One injured, one arrested in Fort Bragg brawl

A Fort Bragg man suffered a possible brain injury after being knocked unconscious during a brawl in the early hours of Sunday, police say.

Officers were called to South Street around 3 a.m. after callers reported as many as 30 people involved in a fight. Witnesses told arriving officers that a man had been knocked out by a punch to the face and hit his head on the sidewalk, according to Fort Bragg Police Sgt. Charles Gilchrist.

Officers searched the area and located Orlando Villalpando, 18, nearby and determined he was the victim, Gilchrist said in a news release. Villalpando was taken to Mendocino Coast District Hospital and later flown to Santa Rosa for further evaluation.

Police later arrested another Fort Bragg man, Jonathan Presswood, 24, on a charge of assault with force likely to create serious bodily injury or death.

The incident remains under investigation and more charges are possible against people involved in the fight, he said.