Prison Officials Investigating Inmate Death As Homicide

LASSEN COUNTY (CBS13) — Prison officials are investigating the death of an inmate at a correctional center in Susanville on Tuesday as a homicide.

The California Correctional Center (CCC) says inmate Richard Leyva, 37, was attacked by inmates Luiz Ortega and Vincent Martinez on the yard Tuesday morning. The two attacking inmates reported ignored orders to stop and staff had to use pepper spray and two pepper-spray blast grenades to stop the attack.

Leyva was stabbed multiple times and later succumbed to his injuries after he was airlifted to a nearby hospital.

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CCC officials say they found two inmate-manufactured weapons at the scene. The suspects were placed into segregated housing.

Ortega, 36, was admitted from Stanislaus County in March of 2018 with a life-with-parole sentence for second-degree murder. Martinez, 37, was admitted from Kings County in Sept. 2014 and is serving a 22-year, four-month sentence for multiple convictions including second-degree murder.

The victim, Leyva, came from Monterey County in 2011, serving a 14-year sentence for assault with a firearm. He had another conviction last Oct. for assault by a prisoner with a deadly weapon and was given an eight-year sentence.