THIS IS A RIOT....YESTERDAYS RIOT IN CHINO AT THE PRISON
CHINO -- All Southern California prisons remain on lockdown following a massive riot involving some 1,300 inmates at the California Institution for Men in Chino.
The riot began at about 8:20 p.m. Saturday at the Reception Center West facility, according to prison spokesman Lt. Mark Hargrove.
The fighting quickly spread to six other barracks, each of which hold about 200 inmates, and lasted until around midnight.
About 80 officers responded to the riot.
Hargrove said they sprayed pepper spray, used batons and shot foam projectiles to remove inmates who had barricaded themselves inside.
More than 250 inmates suffered injuries ranging from stab wounds and slashes to head trauma, Hargrove said, mostly inflicted by "weapons of opportunity" like broken glass.
Most of the injured were treated at the prison, but 55 had to be taken to nearby hospitals.
By Sunday evening, 40 of the 55 hospitalized inmates had returned to the prison, said a representative at the California Institution for Men in Chino.
Prisoners who had been admitted to hospitals in "critical" condition have since been upgraded to "stable" condition, said the representative.
No prison staff members were injured.
Additionally, a fire ignited during the chaos and caused significant damage to one of the buildings. Investigators were still trying to determine the cause of the fire.
Hargrove said that situation was under control as of Sunday morning. The prisoners who had not been admitted to hospitals were being returned to the facility.
Witnesses in the area outside the prison reported hearing gunshots and sounds of explosions.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the riot may have been racially motivated, though there has yet to be official word on how and why the violence at the prison began.
A similar riot broke out in December 2006, Hargrove said.
All prisons in Southern California were put on lockdown as a result of the riot. Visitation was suspended until further notice, officials said.