San Jose Cinco De Mayo Celebrations Turn Violent
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- Rowdy Cinco de Mayo celebrations in San Jose Thursday night and early this morning led to a couple of violent incidents, several arrests, and damage to a building in the city, a police spokesman said today.
San Jose annually hosts what is believed to be the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in Northern California, an event whose large crowds often are accompanied by violence and other crimes, police Sgt. Jason Dwyer said.
At about 9 p.m., someone walked into Regional Medical Center of San Jose with multiple stab wounds, Dwyer said.
KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:
The victim, whose injuries are not considered life-threatening, was stabbed near the intersection of Story and King roads, according to Dwyer.
Shortly after 10 p.m., a carjacking was also reported at the intersection of Story and King roads. Several suspects confronted a victim and took his car, Dwyer said.
The suspects drove the car a short distance away and parked it, where officers were able to find it and return it to its owner, he said.
No arrests or suspect information were immediately available in connection with either case, Dwyer said.
Around midnight, many officers responded again to King and Story roads for crowd control after about 300 people gathered near the intersection.
The crowd "basically rushed the officers," who had to use pepper spray to fend them off, Dwyer said.
One officer was treated for a complaint of pain to his chest after his motorcycle was knocked over, according to Dwyer.
The crowd dispersed quickly before the officers were able to apprehend anyone, he said.
Damage was also reported in the form of broken windows at a businesses in the 1000 block of East Santa Clara Street, Dwyer said. No one was arrested for the vandalism, he said.
Donald Weaver watched Friday morning as workers fixed broken windows and boarded up the storefront of his tax service business this morning to prevent it from being vandalized again this weekend by rowdy Cinco de Mayo crowds.
His business, Weaver Tax Service, at1530 Alum Rock Ave., was one of many that were vandalized Thursday night and early Friday morning.
"They busted out all my front windows," the 82-year-old Weaver said. "I wish it hadn't happened, but they didn't single me out, I'm sure of that. I think it was a convenient target. They were probably drunk."
Weaver, who has run the business for more than 50 years, said several other stores nearby were damaged also, including Drako Boutique and El Gallo Junior Restaurant.
Glenda Stewart, an officer manager at the tax business, said she was shocked by the vandalism when she came to work Friday morning.
"I saw the windows were all boarded up," Stewart said. "I drove up and parked on the street because there was too much glass everywhere."
Seven people in all were arrested for various offenses during the celebrations.
Five people were arrested for misdemeanor offenses such as disturbing the peace, resisting arrest, possession of a switchblade, and having an outstanding warrant. Two were arrested for felony offenses, one for possession of narcotics for sale and the other for possession of an illegal weapon, he said.
Four of the people arrested were from San Jose, while the other three were from out of town, Dwyer said.
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