The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation say two inmates killed another inmate at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi Wednesday morning.
Just before 9 a.m., 38-year-old David Moreno was attacked by two other inmates, identified as Armando Taylor, 41, and Carlos Cervantes, 39.
The altercation at the maximum-security facility required “chemical agents” to separate the inmates, CDCR officials said.
Moreno was stabbed multiple times and received immediate treatment from staff at the prison. He was then transported to an outside medical facility, but died during the ride around 9:40 a.m.
Back at the prison, guards recovered three “inmate-manufactured weapons,” and Cervantes and Taylor were moved into restricted housing. Movement at the prison has been limited, CDCR officials said.
Moreno had been imprisoned for nearly 20 years, arriving from Los Angeles County in April 2004 after receiving a life sentence for attempted first-degree murder. He also had an additional conviction for battery on a “non-prisoner” during his time incarcerated. Despite his convictions, he was eligible for parole and could have conceivably been released in the future.
Cervantes was brought to the prison after two first-degree murder convictions in 2018. He is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He has previously been convicted of possession of a manufactured weapon during his time behind bars.
Taylor has been in prison since 2017 following a conviction in Imperial County for first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. He is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole as well. Taylor has also received additional sentencing for an assault committed while incarcerated.
The incident is being investigated as a homicide by the Kern County District Attorney’s Office and the prison’s investigative unit. The Kern County medical examiner will determine the official cause of Moreno’s death.
The California Correctional Institution has been in operation for 90 years and currently houses around 1,700 inmates.