A Kern Valley State Prison cell fight between two men serving long stretches behind bars ended in a fatality Saturday, when 41-year-old Sergio Villalobos was killed after an altercation with another incarcerated man, according to state prison officials. Staff and paramedics tried life-saving measures, but Villalobos was pronounced dead at 10:55 a.m.
What Officials Say
Custody staff at Kern Valley State Prison spotted the two men fighting inside a cell at about 10:20 a.m., according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Officers ordered both men to get down and used pepper spray when one of them did not comply, officials said.
Staff activated 911, moved Villalobos to the prison’s triage and treatment area, and recovered two inmate-manufactured weapons at the scene, according to the department. Despite the medical response, Villalobos could not be revived.
Who The Men Were
Villalobos was most recently received from Los Angeles County in August 2014 and was serving a life term with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder, reporting by the Los Angeles Daily News shows.
Court records indicate the other man, 39-year-old Jovanny Mendez, was resentenced to a 14-year determinate term on firearm-related counts, according to court documents.
Investigation Underway
KVSP’s Investigative Services Unit and the Kern County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the incident as a possible homicide, the department said. The Office of the Inspector General has also been notified.
Mendez was restrained and removed from the cell after the fight and now remains in restricted housing while the investigation plays out.
Broader Context
The killing comes amid a broader spike in deadly inmate-on-inmate attacks across California’s prison system that has already triggered statewide crackdowns on inmate movement and extra searches at high-security yards, according to reporting by the Los Angeles Times. Officials have repeatedly pointed to improvised weapons and contraband as recurring drivers of fatal violence behind bars.
