Julian Mendez dies in fatal Kern County prison attack

Julian Mendez dies in fatal Kern County prison attack

Fatal Kern County prison death of Julian Mendez – Obituary

Julian Mendez, a 46-year-old death row inmate from Riverside County, was killed during a violent incident at Kern Valley State Prison on Friday morning.

The altercation began around 10:30 a.m. when fellow inmate Mario Renteria, 36, also from Riverside County, allegedly initiated an attack on Mendez, striking him multiple times. Prison officials have not disclosed further details about the initial confrontation or whether Mendez attempted to defend himself.

Despite commands from correctional officers for the men to stop, the assault escalated. Chemical agents were initially effective in stopping the fight, but the situation quickly spiraled as more than 30 other inmates charged at Renteria and began assaulting him. Staff deployed multiple blast grenades in an effort to subdue the chaos.

Once the violence was brought under control, officers found Mendez suffering from numerous injuries. A makeshift weapon was also recovered at the scene. Mendez was moved to the prison’s medical unit, where he was declared dead at 11:05 a.m.

Julian Mendez had been incarcerated since 2004 following his conviction for the brutal 2000 murders of two teenagers. According to trial records, he was 22 at the time and affiliated with a gang. He was convicted of beating a 15-year-old boy and shooting him twice, once in the head, then fatally shooting a 14-year-old girl who had witnessed the crime after another gang member refused to do so.

Mario Renteria, who was serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder and arson, is now being held in restricted housing as the investigation continues. Prison officials have also imposed restrictions on inmate movement to assist with the ongoing inquiry.

Authorities have yet to determine the full motive or chain of events that led to the deadly confrontation.