The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has opened an investigation into the death of an inmate at Kern Valley State Prison.
A CDCR release indicated that two inmates allegedly attacked a third inmate with an “inmate-manufactured” weapon shortly before 6:40 pm Friday night.
The inmate who was attacked – identified as 46-year-old Richard A. Aguirre – suffered “multiple stab wounds” and was taken to Kern Medical Center where he died less than an hour after he was attacked.
No other prison staff or inmates were injured, officials said.
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Aguirre was serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder and was received at Kern Valley State Prison from Los Angeles County on April 8, 1998.
The two inmates who carried out the alleged attack were identified as Juan Camacho, 46-years-old and John Martinez, 52-years-old.
Both men were in prison for violent crimes; Camacho is serving a 47-year sentence for attempted second-degree murder and Martinez was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder as the third striker.
The two alleged attackers have been moved to residential housing, and movement on the grounds is limited to facilitate the investigation, the corrections department said.
Kern Valley State Prison opened in 2005 and houses more than 2,800 minimum-, medium-, maximum- and high-security inmates.
