SAN FRANCISCO — On Sunday, a man was arrested in connection with the shooting death that happened during a fight at a popular Northern California lakeside leisure area. Several people were also stabbed during the fight.
The suspect, whose name was not given, was one of two people who were stabbed and airlifted to a hospital after the fight in the parking lot of Lake Berryessa on Saturday afternoon. Lake Berryessa is a day-use area about 75 miles north of San Francisco that is popular for boating, swimming, fishing, and hiking.
Andres Fabian Sandoval Garcia, 39, of Vallejo, California, was named as the person who died. Henry Wofford, a spokesman for the Napa County Sheriff’s Office, said that the second person who was taken by chopper was released from the hospital on Sunday. Others who were hurt in the fight drove to get medical help.
Wofford said that when a deputy responded to a call, he found two groups fighting badly in different parts of the parking lot. The deputy tried CPR on the shooting victim but was unable to save him.
“People were using broken bottles to stab others in this fight,” he said. “When the deputy got there, he said it was a major mess.” Eighty people were going to fight, and one officer could not stop them.
An investigation into the deadly fight
Wofford said that a lot of the combatants left before the police came. He also said that different witnesses had different ideas about what started the fight, and some refused to talk. Wofford said the first cop who arrived was focused on the person who had been shot and didn’t get a sense of how many people were fighting.
More onlookers are being asked to give information, especially videos that might help investigators figure out what happened and who started it. Wofford said they are sure they have the accused gunman and that he will be booked as soon as he gets out of the hospital.
Even though people have drowned there in the past, more than 500,000 people visit Lake Berryessa every year to enjoy its shores, water, and islands. It is the biggest lake in the county and is located just east of some of Napa Valley’s most famous wineries.
Wofford said the pond is good for families and a lot of different kinds of people usually enjoy it. However, problems do arise when drunk boaters and drivers park where they’re not supposed to.
“We do not see brawls, we do not see people being murdered and stabbed regularly out there,” he stated. “This is extremely rare.”
Source: USA Today
