PITCHESS LOCKED DOWN FIGHTS INJURE 51 INMATES.

Byline: CAROL ROCK Staff Writer

CASTAIC -- The East Facility of Pitchess Detention Center remained on lockdown Friday after a disturbance Thursday afternoon left 40 inmates injured, including 16 who were treated at hospitals.

Violence broke out at 1:45 p.m. when about 339 inmates divided along racial lines in four dormitories of the North Facility and fought for 12 minutes, according to the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau.

Deputies quelled the disturbance using nonlethal tear gas, sting balls and pepper spray. Five inmates were taken to the hospital with moderate injuries and the facility was placed on lockdown.

Then at 3:30 p.m., 1,275 inmates divided along Latino and African-American lines in 11 dorms of the East Facility and battled. The fighting, which lasted approximately 20 minutes, left 11 inmates with injuries that required hospitalization.

Twenty-four inmates were treated by medical staff at the jail complex. Deputies subdued the fighting using nonlethal methods and the facility was put into lockdown mode.

``None of the inmates was hospitalized,'' said Sgt. Paul Schrader. ``They were all treated and released.''

The lockdown for North Facility was lifted Friday.

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