Dozens of Bikers Brawl at O.C. Fairgrounds Swap Meet

A confrontation between rival motorcycle clubs turned into a melee at the Orange County Fairgrounds on Friday night, with as many as 80 bikers pummeling each other with handlebars, tail pipes and engine parts, then fleeing before police arrived, authorities and witnesses said.

The incident started about 8:15 p.m. at a motorcycle swap meet when a fight broke out between a small group of Vagos and Hells Angels, witnesses said.

As combatants grabbed merchandise off vendors’ tables and began hitting each other, others joined the brawl, which soon involved dozens more people, witnesses said.

Jon Erickson, who was at the swap meet to help a friend who is a vendor, said, “There was a fight between Vagos and Hells Angels, between everybody, dude. I saw a lot of people getting hit with handlebars, gas tanks. There was blood everywhere.”

His friend, Eric Maurer, said he was at his booth when he heard a commotion: “Then I saw a crowd of four people expand exponentially. There were 60 or 70 people. I saw people getting hit around the head with steel bars. One man got hit square in the head. I heard it hit his head, then his head went ‘Whack!’ on the cement.”

After about five minutes the fight broke up, Maurer said, and there was a headlong rush for the exits.

Dozens of officers from the Costa Mesa, Irvine, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach police departments responded, along with Orange County Sheriff’s Department personnel, several ambulances and fire engines.

Authorities closed the swap meet, and police officers in helmets and face masks stood in formation around the area.

Sheriff’s Lt. Dennis DeMaio said a man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer. The person’s name was not released.

Vendors waited outside to reclaim the thousands of dollars in merchandise they had abandoned when police cleared the area.

Sheriff’s officials said two injured people were treated at the scene and released.