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Cause of death determined for man who died at North Kern State Prison

An officer found Villanueva unresponsive in the cell he shared with 51-year-old Ramon Escobar, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
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DELANO, Calif. (KERO) — Authorities have released the cause of death of an inmate who was found dead inside of his cell at North Kern State Prison earlier this year.

According to the Kern County Coroner's Office, 53-year-old Juan Villanueva died from strangulation.

An officer conducting a check of the housing unit found Villanueva unresponsive in the cell he shared with 51-year-old Ramon Escobar, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole, on Fri, Feb 24. Escobar was transported to the prison from Los Angeles County.

This is an ongoing investigation.



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