Kern Valley State Prison inmate fatally stabbed: CDCR

Jason Kotowski
·1 min read

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Two inmates are suspected of fatally stabbing a third inmate at Kern Valley State Prison, according to prison officials.

Raul E. Mendoza, 30, died Thursday from multiple puncture wounds suffered during an attack that occurred Monday at the Delano prison, according to a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation release. He was pronounced dead at an outside medical facility where he’d been receiving treatment.

Andrew L. Espinoza, 29, and Frank Vasquez, 44, allegedly stabbed Mendoza with inmate-manufactured weapons, according to the release. Both men have been moved to restricted housing while the investigation continues.

Mendoza was serving 11 years for voluntary manslaughter, officials said. Espinoza is serving a sentence of seven years and four months for carjacking and evading a peace officer, and Vasquez is serving life without parole for murder and robbery.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17.