Fear incites stampede at Temecula youth soccer tournament - 10News

TEMECULA, Calif. (KGTV) - Chaos erupted at a youth soccer tournament in Temecula Sunday morning after parents thought a spectator had a weapon, witnesses and the CEO of the tournament said.

"The entire field was just rushing out to the sidelines, kids were running, crying, parents were pulling their kids, dragging them," Spectator Robert Hernandez said. He was on the sidelines waiting for his niece to play in the finals.

"There was a lot of fouls going on and I could see it was heating up," Hernandez said after a foul two boys pushed each other. "So one of the brothers from the Albion team rushed onto the field and just cold-cocked one of the other opposing players and this kid was about three years older."

The CEO of the Albion Development Showcase, Noah Gins, said it was the brother of the opposing team from Los Angeles who hit and Albion player.

Hernandez said the breach onto the field incited more than a dozen men to join in, creating a brawl. He said, at one point, a man walked away from the scrum and grabbed a camouflage backpack.

"Someone's telling him don't do it, don't do it... They're right in front of us and we're like what's going on? And we're like this guy must have a weapon," he said. The same thought echoed through the crowd, inciting screams and sending kids running.

Referee Alex Hansen was on another field and saw the stampede. "At first, I thought it was actually a bee swarm and so I thought we were going to hit the deck or something, but everyone kept saying, 'Shooter! Shooter! Run!' So we just had to run to the parking lot," Hansen said.

He was immediately concerned about his 15-year-old brother who was refereeing near the commotion. He found out later his brother and players were hiding in a neighbor's garage.

He said the kids were distraught, crying and asking for their parents.

Hernandez said he never saw a weapon, but the man was detained by Temecula Sheriff's Deputies for a short time.

Gins said deputies never found a weapon and in his 40 years of experience he's never seen anything like this.

He said he spoke with California State Soccer Association South and wants stronger consequences for anyone who goes onto the field to discourage this kind of behavior.

As a former coach, Hernandez hopes parents reel in their enthusiasm, "some of these parents get really emotional they need to know it's just a game. They're out there to support their kids, their family member."