Megan's LawA convicted paedophile has been beaten to death by another inmate just a few days after arriving in prison.
66-year-old Agustin Duran was five days into his 55-year sentence when he was attacked by another inmate at Wasco prison in California on Saturday, July 7.
Andrew Ayon, 19, began beating Duran, striking him repeatedly in the face and chest, in one of the day rooms at the prison on Saturday night.
Correctional officers in the day rooms responded when Ayon began beating Duran, according to Newsweek. However, Ayon continued to attack Duran even after the alarm had been sounded and all other inmates were on the ground.
California Department of Corrections and RehabillitationAyon eventually surrendered by lying flat on the ground after officers set off a pepper spray grenade.
Duran was airlifted out of the jail and taken to hospital, but died from his injuries the next day, July 8.
After the attack, Ayon was detained and taken to a holding cell. He was treated for minor injuries at the prison then placed in the Administrative Segregation Unit, where he will remain while the incident is investigated.
According to officials, Duran arrived at Wasco prison from Los Angeles County on July 2. He was serving a 55-year to life sentence, with the possibility of parole, after being convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old.
Ayon had been at the prison since June 22, and was serving six years for second-degree robbery and use of a deadly weapon.
The California Department of Correction and Rehabilitations said in a statement:
At around 7:20 p.m. Saturday, July 7, correctional officers in a dayroom on Facility B responded when inmate Andres Ayon, 19, began striking inmate Agustin Duran, 66, in the face and upper torso with his fists.
An alarm was sounded and all inmates got down on the ground with the exception of Ayon, who continued to strike Duran. Responding staff utilized a pepper spray grenade and Ayon complied and got down on the ground in a prone position.
Staff placed Ayon in handcuffs and escorted him to a temporary holding cell. Duran was placed on a gurney and transported to the triage treatment area, where an ambulance was called.
Google MapsThe statement continued:
At 8:23 p.m., Duran was airlifted to an outside hospital. He was declared dead at 4:48 p.m. on Sunday, July 8.
Ayon was treated at WSP for minor injuries and has been placed in the institution’s Administrative Segregation Unit while the incident is investigated.
Investigators from the Kern County District Attorney’s Office are assisting in the investigation. The Office of the Inspector General was notified.
The primary mission of Wasco State Prison is to provide short-term housing necessary to process, classify and evaluate new inmates physically and mentally to determine their security level, program requirements, and appropriate institutional placement
Wasco State Prison officials said they will be investigating the incident as a homicide.
The prison was opened in 1991 and houses approximately 4,900 inmates, as well as employing around 1,500 members of staff.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.