Inmate dies within hours of beating at California prison

Six inmates have been placed in restricted housing following the suspected beating death of another inmate at Wasco State Prison in Kern County over the weekend.

Officials identified the deceased inmate as David Dominguez, saying he was attacked sometime Saturday at the prison located near Bakersfield.

Prison staff contacted Dominguez, 29, after seeing other inmates helping to support him in the dayroom around 2:30 p.m., the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation stated in a news release.

“He told staff he had suffered a seizure and fell,” the Department stated.

Emergency medical staff was summoned and determined Dominguez needed a higher level of care.

Life-saving measures were performed in a triage and treatment area while staff awaited an ambulance.

Dominguez was pronounced dead by a paramedic just after 4 p.m. The cause of death is still to be determined by the Kern County coroner.

“A subsequent review of the audio-video surveillance system showed incarcerated persons Jose Landeros, 27, and Michael S. Padilla, 37, entering Dominguez’s cell and engaging in a physical altercation,” the Department stated.

Landeros and Padilla, along with four other inmates were moved to restricted housing pending further investigation.

The other inmates were identified as Robert Rubalcava, 40, Leonel A. Torres, 40, Zakary W. White, 27, and Mario Aguillon, 37, but officials did not indicate what roles they may have played in the incident.

Dominguez arrived at the prison from San Diego County in October of last year. He had been sentenced to three years for extortion by means of force or threat and assault with force likely to produce great bodily harm, with enhancements for street gang act.

Landeros is currently serving a nearly 20-year sentence for multiple convictions including second-degree robbery with an enhancement for use of a firearm, assault with a firearm and false imprisonment with violence.

Padilla is currently serving a 22-year sentence for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, a second-strike offense, with enhancements for fleeing the scene and for a prior felony conviction of a serious offense.

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