Police Summoned to Altercation at Kindergarten Play

Story updated at 2:10 p.m. to add confirmation from police that one citizen's arrest was made.

Sheriff's deputies responded to restore order after an altercation during a kindergarten play Wednesday night in Menifee, authorities said.

Police questioned several involved after an altercation among adults during a play involving kindergarten students from Ridgemoor Elementary School in Menifee, said Deputy Mike Vasquez. He said no one was taken into custody, but one person was given a citation after another individual made a citizen's arrest.

The identity of that individual was not released. The case was forwarded to the district attorney's office. There were no injuries, Vasquez said.

The event was held at Hans Christensen Middle School to accommodate the large crowd at what has become a popular event. According to several witnesses, the incident began when a woman sat and stood near the front in the center aisle, blocking others who were trying to watch and video the performance.

According to witnesses, the woman refused to move when asked by other parents and principal Kristina Lyman. A physical altercation occurred, involving several people.

Savannah Kroll, a Ridgemoor parent who was in attendance, said military personnel who were in the audience to watch a Veterans Tribute planned by the students assisted in restraining the woman.

"After they took her outside she then attempted to get backstage back into the school, resulting in her being taken out of the school by these men and placed outside in the parking lot," Kroll said in an email to Menifee 24/7.

"It was a little chaotic while everything was happening inside as the many parents scrambled to take their kids outside and away from potential harm. Once it was determined she was away from the premises and authorities were handling the incident, they pushed forward with the songs. Of all the students that were there at the beginning of the play, maybe 20 to 25 ended up staying through and coming back to the stage to sing a song and do the Veteran Tribute."

Leo Cuevas also was in attendance and give this account of what he saw:

"Some lady started being loud and disrespectful during the kids' play when they were honoring our Veterans," Cuevas said in a Facebook post for which he later gave permission for publication. "She was so loud they stopped the play and other parents started to tell her to shut up. So she got louder and things just escalated after that."

Another person in attendance stated that the woman struck Lyman, but that has not been confirmed.

"I didn't see her hit the principal, but I saw her sister swing at another parent," Cuevas said. "She was African-American. She was told to move, but not because she was black. When she was told to move, she right away played the racist card and said, 'Just because I'm black.' She was there with her kids and she was so loud and out of control that all three or four of her kids were crying."

Kroll agreed with Cuevas' statements that the woman tried to make a racial issue of the request that she move her chair, and that she and at least one other person with her had made racial comments at the very start of the performance.

"There were racist comments made by the African-American woman in the center aisle regarding the Pledge of Allegiance and how it was a white person's world, and she used the N word multiple times, which just is sad," Kroll said. "Even an African-American man I was seated next to (medically retired from the Navy after 13 years of service) shook his head and said how disappointed he was in her behavior, and actions.

"Other parents at this point began to get directly involved, asking them to leave the building, or be quiet so they could see their children as profanity and other words were now being used back and forth, but these two continued to argue, involving their family members, who were attempting to calm them down.

"There was a physical altercation that followed, however I did not see that portion of the argument as there was a large group around the ladies. At that point, I was at the stage with my daughter, helping the teachers there maintain order and keep the children from panicking."

Betti Cadmus, public information officer for the Menifee Union School District, said that district officials are working with law enforcement to make sure any offenders in the incident are held accountable.

"The incident took place close to the end of the performance," Cadmus said. "Several parents got into an altercation. Students were removed from the performance area.

"It is the primary concern of the Menifee Union School District to provide a school environment that is both safe and educationally rich at all school events. The district will seek resolution of this occurrence, in partnership with law enforcement."

Doreen Johnson told Menifee 24/7 she was there watching her grandson perform when the incident began.

"She was blocking the middle aisle so other parents couldn't see or video their kids," Johnson said about the woman. "Parents were asking her nicely to sit or move. She was very rude to everyone. She actually shoved my son, who was holding my infant grandson. We were all disgusted in her actions.

"It was sad to hear my kindergarten grandson ask me why are there mean people out there. We went outside to leave and the police were there, questioning everyone that was involved. Then more cars showed up that had something to do with that lady and they all started arguing in the street. They were all embarrassing themselves. I couldn't believe what I saw. I felt so bad for the kids."

Cadmus said police and security personnel were at Ridgemoor Elementary this morning as children were dropped off for school.

"I just picked my daughter up at school at 11:15, and the school had a police officer there both this morning and at pickup, as well as a school liaison who went around informing any parents if they had videos or pictures of the incidents to speak with the front office, as they were fully investigating the incident and had a tech guy in the school," Kroll said.

"I do applaud Ridgemoor for getting on top of it both last night during the play, and having the nice staff answering what they could today, but I felt so bad for the kindergarten classes and teachers who had worked so hard to put on the 16th play, as well as the children whose families were directly involved last night.

"A lot of the atmosphere at the school today was that the kids were mostly shook up because they didn't fully understand what had happened. One child (according to the mother) was sad that people didn't like the songs and left! Another never wanted to be in a play again! The parents were just disappointed at the woman's behavior, which disrupted what should have been a very nice event."