A Monday morning brawl between inmates waiting in a holding area for their court appearances sent one of the group and a courthouse bailiff to the hospital with different injuries, according to recently released reports.

Inmates Christopher Villela, 25, and Gerardo Bazan, 20, are accused of assaulting 51-year-old Jose Arturo Ybarra shortly before their court appearances Monday in the 138th and 404th state District Courts.

Although a motive for the alleged assault remained unclear Tuesday, jail records show that Villela was jailed on charges of theft of a firearm, while Bazan was arrested on seven charges ranging from theft to burglary to DWI and evading arrest.

Deputies arrested Ybarra in November on an aggravated assault charge. According to reports, 138th state District Court bailiff Victor Tamayo was injured while trying to subdue Bazan. Paramedics took both Tamayo and Ybarra to the Valley Regional Medical Center, where they were released Tuesday. County Judge Gilberto Hinojosa said the incident remains under investigation but underscores the need for courthouse safety.

“It's a safety issue not only for inmates, but for the public and bailiffs as well,” he said.