3 Hurt, 8 Held in Racial Brawl

A racial epithet shouted at two black men in the parking lot of a Norwalk restaurant prompted a brawl early Sunday that injured three men and resulted in the arrest of eight others, including two U.S. Marines, authorities said.

The two black men, Calvin Alexander, 19, of Gardena, and his brother Kevin, 25, of Paramount, were leaving the Saddleback Inn, 12500 E. Firestone Blvd., at 1:55 a.m. with their friend, Joel Camacho, 25, when a woman purportedly shouted a racially derogatory term at the Alexanders, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Lee Smith.

“She apparently set them up because when they went over to confront her, they were attacked by about 15 to 20 men,” Smith said.

When deputies arrived and restored order, they found Calvin Alexander semiconscious, lying on the ground bleeding with a broken nose, Smith said. His brother and Camacho suffered cuts and bruises. They were treated at Norwalk Community Hospital and released.

Arrested on charges of assault with intent to do great bodily injury were Adrian Sandoval, 24, of Hawthorne; Ruben Landeros, 27, and Rigoberto Allvin, 22, of Paramount; Ernesto Cuellar, 21, of Los Angeles; Marines Johnny Fish, 22, and Michael Miller, 21, of Camp Pendleton, and Juan Santos, 23, of Compton.

An eighth man, Andre Horton, 24, of Gardena was arrested for interfering with a police officer, Smith said. It was unclear whether Horton, who is black, was part of the group that allegedly assaulted the Alexanders and Camacho or whether he was trying to come to their aid, Smith said.

The woman whose alleged remark apparently led to the fight left the scene before deputies arrived and was not taken into custody, Smith said.