By Ramsey DeLano

Total mayhem erupted on campus last Thursday, April 15, when a series of fights broke out at lunch involving at least a half dozen students, one of whom was arrested and booked at juvenile hall, school officials said.

“It was complete chaos,” said junior Sara Manansala. “Everyone started screaming.”

Principal Mark Corti said there were a total of three separate, unrelated incidents, including one in which he was struck by a female Del Amigo student, who was arrested on suspicion of felony battery.

But many students reported witnessing at least half a dozen fights across campus.

The first fight took place during brunch and involved Cal sophomore boys, Corti said.

During lunch, administrators reported breaking up two separate fights.

The last one, involving the Del Amigo girl, may have been racially motivated and triggered by an incident earlier last week at the San Ramon Skate Park, Corti said.

The girl came onto campus and allegedly fought with a female Cal student. After the Del Amigo girl was initially apprehended, she was locked in room T-1.

The girl proceeded to break a window and escape the room. She allegedly attacked administrators who tried to catch her running from the room, several eyewitnesses said.

Junior Jake Donnally was heading to the gym when he witnessed the girl breaking out.

“She ripped down the blinds and punched through the window,” Jake said.

Patch.com reported the girl punched Corti three times in the face and bit two school officials during the ordeal. Corti denies he was hit multiple times, saying he was “struck” at one point while he tried to restrain the girl.

The initial fight during lunch broke out shortly before 1 p.m. and word spread throughout campus that something was “going down in the quad.”

Physics teacher Debbie Sater was walking toward the copy center during lunch when she saw “a rush of people running toward the main building.”

Sater joined at least three other teachers and administrators in breaking up one fight by pulling kids off of each other.Sater said a crowd of students were all cheering, watching and egging on students fighting.

“It all happened so fast,” Sater said. “It was a disturbing display of crowd mentality.”

On Friday, Corti made an announcement asking students to inform administrators of any details concerning the fights. The investigation is ongoing.

Corti also sent out an e-mail after school to parents describing the incident.

Two students who witnessed the fight created a Facebook group called “you were running around at the cal high riot.” Hundreds of students had joined the group by Friday morning.

“It was the craziest fight we have had the entire year,” said junior Anjali Kadakia.