Four charged, alcohol citations filed after large fight at Rowan County Fairgrounds

Published 10:24 am Monday, December 6, 2021

SALISBURY — A fight Sunday at the Rowan County Fairgrounds produced criminal charges, injuries that required medical treatment and alcohol citations for the facility’s operators.

Salisbury Police and Rowan County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report about a fight at the fairgrounds, 1560 Julian Road, around 12:15 a.m. on Sunday. Lt. Justin Crews said the facility hosted a party that got out of control.

Crews said officers were met at the gate by Johnny Love, fairgrounds manager, who stopped officers and said everything inside was fine. Officers responded they wanted to investigate the situation anyway, Crews said.

While officers were on scene, new fights broke out. Officers pepper-sprayed people to disperse the crowd and cited four people with simple affray. People cited include: Cecilia Bautista Jacinto, 34; Maria Sandra Mejia Cuanas, 26; Laura Hernandez Agustin, 46; and Carmen Vital Santos, 35.

Four people were transported to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, Crews said. They were cuts, bruises and scrapes, said fairgrounds event coordinator Randall Barger.

In an emailed statement, Barger said fairgrounds management met and discussed steps to make sure the chances of a similar incident happening again are minimal.

Love and Barger were also cited with violations by the Alcohol Law Enforcement agency. But details about the citations weren’t immediately available. The people who rented the facility and attended the event brought their own alcohol, Barger said.

Barger said neither he nor Love possessed or sold alcohol. They were only at the fairgrounds to provide janitorial services, he said.

“We will be obtaining legal council and plan to bring this matter before the court,” Barger said.