Authorities suspect that a convicted serial killer killed his pedophile cellmate less than a month after entering prison, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) reported.
Juan Villanueva, 53, who was serving life in prison with the possibility of parole for aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14, was found unconscious by North Kern State Prison officials at a wellness check at 8: 49 a.m. Friday, being pronounced dead at 9:03 a.m., the CDCR said.
Authorities said Villanueva shared a cell with Ramón Escobar, 51, who pleaded guilty in 2022 to killing five men and wounding seven others after fleeing Houston, Texas, where he finally pleaded guilty to the murders of his aunt. and his uncle in 2018, Fox News said.
According to the Kern County Coroner, Villanueva’s death was due to a homicide, and after the fact, Escobar was placed in restrictive housing, while the prison’s Investigative Services Unit and the Kern County District Attorney they are investigating Villanueva’s death.
The victim comes from being transferred to North Kern State Prison on February 2, which is a medium security facility that houses 3,500 inmates.
After fleeing Houston, Texas, Escobar began a series of deadly attacks in Santa Monica, where prosecutors said he beat his victims with a baseball bat or bolt cutter while they slept in the streets or on the beach. The five deaths were reported in the space of two weeks.
Escobar, who is originally from El Salvador, was deported six times before committing the crimes, according to authorities.