2 Arrested After Fights Leave 3 Injured : Newbury Park: Authorities say rival gangs were involved in the melee, which included a drive-by shooting. A former Westlake High athlete and a 16-year-old boy are being held.

Two teen-agers were arrested after fights broke out among rival gangs in front of a house in Newbury Park, leaving three youths injured, authorities said Friday.

Brady Willmon, 18, a former football player at Westlake High School, suffered a cut to his head and was being held in Ventura County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, authorities said. A 16-year-old, whose identity was not released because of his age, was being held at Juvenile Hall.

According to Ventura County sheriff’s deputies, an argument began about 7:40 p.m. Thursday after three suspected gang members in a black, compact car stopped in front of a house in the 100 block of North Wendy Drive and began talking with several juveniles standing outside.

“They pull up, there’s a confrontation, and the juvenile living at the house goes inside and gets a knife,” Sheriff’s Sgt. Mike De Los Santos said.

After the juvenile returned with a large knife, the trio drove off, De Los Santos said.

Within minutes, a gold van carrying another rival gang drove by and spotted the juveniles outside the house.

Authorities said Willmon and the 16-year-old exited the van and confronted the juveniles in front of the house. Authorities said the two were intent on getting revenge for a stabbing that took place last fall.

“Some threats were yelled back and forth and they get into fisticuffs with weapons they bring,” De Los Santos said.

Willmon allegedly hit one of the juveniles with a broom handle, injuring the youth’s left arm. Authorities said the injured youth had been blamed for the earlier stabbing. Another juvenile living at the house told authorities that he then hit Willmon on the head with a pipe in self-defense, De Los Santos said.

During the scuffle, the 16-year-old suspect hit the 15-year-old juvenile who lived at the house with a hand tool, inflicting minor injuries, authorities said. Willmon and the 16-year-old fled in the van, De Los Santos said.

After they left, the first group of rival gang members returned in the compact car and fired at least one round at the house as the juveniles ran inside, De Los Santos said. No one was hurt and no arrests had been made late Friday in connection with the shooting, De Los Santos said.

Willmon and the 16-year-old were arrested Thursday night at Los Robles Regional Medical Center, De Los Santos said.

“We went to the hospital to talk to the 16-year-old that was injured,” De Los Santos said. “And (Willmon) comes walking in with his head busted open and bleeding all over the place. And the 16-year-old suspect was dropping him off at the hospital.”

De Los Santos said he was amazed at the coincidence of two rival gangs driving by the Wendy Drive house within 30 minutes of each other.

“I would have gone out and bought a Lotto ticket,” De Los Santos said. “I mean, what are the odds?”

The 16-year-old suspect is at Juvenile Hall awaiting a court hearing and Willmon was being held on $5,000 bail. Willmon was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.