LAKE ELSINORE: Melee at high school results in 2 students injured, 3 adults arrested

LAKE ELSINORE — Officials arrested three adults after two juveniles were injured during a fight that broke out at Temescal Canyon High School, Thursday afternoon, Nov. 30. The school is located at 28755 El Toro Road in Lake Elsinore.

After the fight, deputies arrested three men, identified as 48-year-old, Benigno Arias, 21-year-old, Jaime Arias and 19-year-old, Adrian Arias. All three are related and are Lake Elsinore residents.

All three adults were later booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta, Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Luke Torres explained in a written press release after the incident.

Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to the high school about 2:45 p.m., after a School Resource Officer at the location radioed for assistance while trying to break up a fight.

Deputies used pepper spray in an attempt to stop the fight, which involved three adults and at least two juveniles. The pepper spray was ineffective and the melee continued until additional deputies arrived at the campus to assist the School Resource Officer and school administrators.

After deputies managed to quell the fight and gain control of the situation the involved subjects were separated.

Two juvenile students sustained injuries as a result of the fight and deputies immediately summoned medical assistance to the campus. The two victims, who are both minors, were treated at the scene and later released to their parents.

During a subsequent investigation, deputies interviewed a number of witnesses at which time they determined Adrian and Jaime Arias, neither of whom are students at the school, assaulted the two juvenile students as they left the school campus at the end of the regular school day.

“The assault occurred over an incident that happened earlier in the day on the school campus between one of the victims and another student,” said Torres.

“The Lake Elsinore Unified School District is aware of the incident and is cooperating with Sheriff’s personnel,” Torres explained, saying, “At this time, there is no hazard to students, school staff, or the public.”

An online jail records search revealed Adrian and Jaime Arias were both booked into jail on suspicion of criminal conspiracy and felony battery resulting in serious bodily injury. Both were also booked on suspicion of fighting on and maliciously and willfully disturbing a school campus. Both remain in custody, held on $25,000 bail.

Benigno Arias was booked on suspicion of making terrorist threats and criminal conspiracy and he remains in custody, held on $20,000 bail.

All three men are scheduled to be arraigned at the Riverside Hall Of Justice, Dec. 4.

Anyone with additional information is urged to call Riverside County Sheriff’s dispatch at (951) 776-1099, or the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station at (951) 245-3300. Callers can refer to incident file number F173340039 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

 

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Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.