(L-R) Alex Mercado, Eric Gonzalez, and Javier Torres / Photos courtesy California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. - A homicide investigation is underway after a California prison inmate was allegedly attacked and killed by two other inmates, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
What we know:
The incident happened on Nov. 10 at around 10:20 a.m. in the exercise yard at Calipatria State Prison.
According to officials, 31-year-old Alex Mercado was attacked by 26-year-old Eric Gonzalez and 27-year-old Javier Torres.
Staff used chemical agents to stop the attack and immediately restrained Gonzalez and Torres.
Mercado was taken to a hospital where he later died.
Officers recovered one improvised weapon at the scene.
No staff or other inmates were injured during the incident.
What we don't know:
Officials did not disclose what the improvised weapon was.
Mercado's official cause of death is under investigation by the Imperial County coroner.
The backstory:
All three inmates involved were serving sentences for serious offenses.
Mercado was received on Sept. 9, 2022 from LA County. He was serving a 13-year sentence for second-degree murder and assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
Gonzalez was received on May 4, 2023 from LA County. He is serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder with an enhancement for the use of a firearm.
Torres was returned from parole on May 10, 2024 from Kern County. He is serving a six-year sentence for carjacking as a second striker.
What's next:
Gonzalez and Torres have been placed in restrictive housing.
The incident is under investigation by the Cal Investigative Services Unit and the Imperial County District Attorney's Office. The Office of the Inspector General has also been notified.
The Source: This article is based on information from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.