Police Say Up To 100 People Involved In Brawl At Hotel In Anaheim
ANAHEIM (CBSLA) — A massive brawl broke out Wednesday at the Cambria Hotel & Suites in Anaheim involving as many as 100 people, police said.
Officers with the Anaheim Police Department were initially dispatched to the hotel at 101 E. Katella Ave., a couple of blocks from Disneyland, at about 12:40 p.m.
When the officers arrived, they reportedly found between 60 and 100 hotel guests fighting both inside and outside the hotel.
"We sent four initial officers who responded on scene and were immediately contacted by a group of about 40 people in the parking lot fighting," Sgt. Shane Carringer, of Anaheim PD, said. "Simultaneously, there was a fight occurring inside the lobby that included anywhere from another 40 to 60 people, so they called for additional resources, additional police personnel and medical resources anticipating that there would be victims here in need of medical treatment."
According to witnesses, the fight started in the pool area of the hotel before breaking into the lobby and then out of the front door of the building.
"We was in the pool, just chilling, you know how we play, and I pushed my little cousin in," Raymond Brown, a witness, said. "And they wanted to act like there's some problems because he accidentally fell on a girl when he was in the pool."
Brown said what started as an accident turned into an all-out brawl after people started throwing bottles at the boys.
The hotel was briefly placed on lockdown while officers assessed the situation which was cleared by about 3 p.m., though the investigation was ongoing.
Anaheim police said they have had problems with the hotel in the past, including alleged failures to enforce social distancing guidelines.
"The hotel is not practicing social distancing as they've been asked by the county," Carringer said. "So, we're currently working with city and county resources to address the problems that this hotel continues to face for us."
The manager of the hotel would only say that the hotel was cooperating with the investigation.
One man and one juvenile were taken into custody and two others were taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, according to police.
Additional arrests were expected as they reviewed security footage of the incident.