A convicted murderer was killed this week in an attack by other inmates at a Southern California prison, authorities said.
Staff at Calipatria State Prison in Imperial County witnessed the death of Alberto Martinez, 46, in the prison yard Thursday, authorities said.
Inmate Tyler A. Lua punched him, knocked him to the ground and continued to beat him, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a news release.
Two other inmates, Jorge D. Negrete-Larios and Luis J. Beltran, began beating Martinez as he lay motionless, and staff “stopped the incident using pepper spray and a baton strike,” the statement said. indicated the department.
The department said Martinez had “injuries consistent with a weapon made in incarceration” and that two such weapons were found where the attack took place.
Medical personnel attempted to treat Martinez’s injuries, but he died within an hour. Prison authorities say they are investigating his death as a homicide.
The Imperial County Coroner will determine the exact cause of death.
Martinez was sentenced to death in 2010 after being convicted of first-degree murder for his role in the kidnapping and murder of a man in exchange for payment from the man’s sister.
Martinez described himself in court as an associate of the Mexican Mafia. He was featured in a 2023 Los Angeles Times article detailing how crime syndicate members in prison use contraband cell phones to collect money and order murders on the city streets.
Although Martinez was initially on death row, he was among the condemned prisoners who were moved to the general population after Gov. Gavin Newsom. imposed a moratorium on executions in 2019.
According to the Department of Corrections, Martinez was also serving a life sentence for attempted first-degree murder, as well as another two-year sentence for street gang activity.
The three inmates involved were “placed in restricted housing” pending an investigation, the department said.
Both Lua and Negrete-Larios are serving sentences for attempted second-degree murder and other convictions. Beltran was sentenced in 2023 to life in prison for first-degree murder.
