Tulare County inmate among suspects in Kern prison homicide case

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – A Tulare County inmate has been named as one of the suspects in the death of another incarcerated person at the Kern Valley State Prison, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced.

According to the CDCR, on Monday at around 2:20 p.m., two incarcerated men Andrew L. Espinoza, 29, of Los Angeles County, and Frank Vasquez, 44, of Tulare County, allegedly attacked another incarcerated man, Raul E. Mendoza. Two inmate-manufactured weapons were recovered at the scene.

Officials with the CDCR say Mendoza sustained multiple puncture wounds. Life-saving measures were performed, and he was taken to an outside medical facility for a higher level of care where he remained until he succumbed to his injuries. He was pronounced deceased on Thursday at 1:06 p.m. No staff or additional incarcerated people were injured.

Both suspects, according to the CDCR, have been moved to restricted housing pending an investigation into this case. Officials say they have also limited population movement in the yard to facilitate the investigation being by the Kern Valley State Prison Investigative Services unit, the Kern County District Attorney’s Office, and the Kern County Coroner.

The CDCR officials say Vasquez was received from Tulare County on Dec. 1, 2015, and he was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder and second-degree robbery. He also received enhancements for intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury or death.

This is an ongoing investigation.

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