Photos courtesy California Department of Corrections
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - State prison officials have launched a homicide investigation following the death of an inmate at the California State Prison, Los Angeles County (CSP-LAC).
What we know:
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, prison staff were conducting a security check on Feb. 3 around 8:40 p.m. when they found 49-year-old Wilbert Lucero, unresponsive in his cell. He died at the scene.
Three other inmates – Lucero's cellmate, 29-year-oald Jeremy Rakistis, along with 48-year-old Ismael Marquez and 42-year-old Raymond Moreno, were put in restricted housing in connection with Lucero's death, officials said.
All four inmates were serving life sentences for murder or attempted murder convictions from Los Angeles County.
What we don't know:
The specific cause and manner of Lucero’s death have not yet been released.
Authorities have not detailed the suspected roles of Marquez and Moreno, who were not Lucero's cellmates, or how they may have been involved in the incident within the maximum-security facility.
What's next:
The CSP-LAC Investigative Services Unit and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will lead the criminal investigation.
The Office of the Inspector General has been notified and will likely oversee the process.
A formal autopsy by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner will confirm Lucero's exact cause of death.
The Source: This report is based on information from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.