Kern Valley State Prison inmate death being investigated as homicide: CDCR
Officials from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are investigating the death of an inmate at Kern Valley State Prison as a homicide, the department announced Saturday.
According to a CDCR release, two prisoners allegedly attacked another prisoner, identified as 41-year-old Isaac Duran, with an inmate-manufactured weapon at 2:55 p.m. on Oct. 14.
Duran sustained multiple stab wounds and was transported to an outside medical center for a higher level of care. He eventually succumbed to his wounds on Nov. 9 while under the care of staff at Kern Medical Center, CDCR said.
Duran, who was received from Tulare County on April 17, 2003, had been serving life with the possibility of parole for two counts of first degree attempted murder with enhancement of intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and street gang activity.
While incarcerated, Duran was sentenced in Kings County to serve 12 years and four months for two counts of assault by prisoner with a deadly weapon, three counts of possession/manufacture of a deadly weapon by a prisoner and battery on a non-prisoner.
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The two attackers were identified by authorities as Roland C. Corona, 57, and Luis Alvidrez, 33.
Corona, who was received from Fresno County on June 4, 2003, is serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole for first degree armed robbery and burglary with enhancement use of a firearm, false imprisonment with enhancement use of a firearm, vehicle theft, receiving stolen property and criminal threat to cause great bodily injury or death as a third striker.
He was also handed an additional 12-year sentence for three counts of possession/manufacture of a deadly weapon by a prisoner.
Alvidrez was received from San Diego County on June 1, 2017 to serve an 18-year, four month sentence for two counts of second degree armed robbery with enhancement of personal use of a dangerous or deadly weapon as well as two counts of second degree robbery as a second striker.
He too was sentenced to additional time while already in prison; Alvidrez was found guilty in Kern County of possession/manufacture of a deadly weapon by a prisoner and assault with a deadly weapon as a second striker.
Both suspects have been moved to restricted housing pending investigation into this case, CDCR said. An investigation is being conducted by KVSP’s Investigative Services Unit, the Kern County District Attorney’s Office and the Kern County Coroner.
The Office of the Inspector General was notified, and the Kern County Coroner will determine Duran’s official cause of death, CDCR said.
No other inmates or prison staff were injured.
KTLA sister station KGET contributed to this report.
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