DELANO, Calif. (KERO) — The death of an inmate in Delano is being investigated as a homicide.
According to a release from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 26-year-old Juan E. Mendoza was found unresponsive in a cell he shared with another inmate at Kern Valley State Prison on Wednesday. The release stated that he was suffering from "visual injuries."
Emergency medical crews were called and Mendoza was taken to the prison's medical facility where he was later pronounced dead.
Mendoza was serving time for an attempted murder and weapons conviction.
Mendoza's cellmate, 26-year-old Jorge L. Mendoza was removed to a separate unit pending the outcome of the investigation. He was serving time for second-degree murder.
The exact cause of Juan E. Mendoza's death has not been determined. The investigation is ongoing.
No word if the two men were related.
