3 Convicted Murderers Kill Fellow Prison Inmate In RivCo: CDCR

BLYTHE, CA — Three state prison inmates housed in Riverside County are under investigation, accused of stabbing to death another incarcerated person, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced Monday.

The alleged stabbing was reported around 7:01 p.m. June 22 at Blythe's Ironwood State Prison. It's not clear where inside the desert institution the attack occurred but CDCR officials reported that when they found 42-year-old inmate Luis Padilla, he was suffering multiple stab wounds.

"Staff immediately sounded an alarm," according to CDCR. "The three assailants fled the area but were quickly located and detained without incident."

Two inmate-manufactured weapons were recovered at the scene, the state agency said.

Despite efforts to save him, Padilla was pronounced dead about 37 minutes later at the institution’s triage and treatment area, CDCR reported.

His suspected killers are all serving life sentences with the possibility of parole for first-degree murders committed in San Diego County:

• Samuel Ricardez, 28, was sent to Ironwood on March 4, 2014, for the 2012 fatal shooting of a 17-year-old Oceanside boy. In addition to the murder conviction, he was also sentenced to five years for second-degree robbery with enhancements of using a firearm and being in a street gang during the commission of a violent felony.
• Jonathan Orduno, 23, came to Ironwood on Aug. 31, 2022, for the March 2020 fatal shooting of an acquaintance at a San Ysidro motel.
• Juan Madrigal, 26, was sent to Ironwood on March 15, 2023, for fatally shooting a man near the Rolando neighborhood in August of 2020. In addition to his murder conviction, he was also sentenced to seven years for second-degree murder and five years for discharge of a firearm at an inhabited dwelling/vehicle/aircraft.

Padilla came to Ironwood from Los Angeles County on Dec. 11, 2001. An alleged street gang member, he was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for preventing/dissuading a victim or witness. He was also serving a two-year sentence for making a criminal threat to cause great bodily injury and had a stalking conviction.

A possible motive for Padilla's killing was not disclosed.

The three suspects were moved to restricted housing at Ironwood pending an investigation by the prison's Investigative Services Unit and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. The Office of the Inspector General was notified, and the Riverside County coroner will determine Padilla’s official cause of death, according to CDCR.

Ironwood State Prison opened in 1994 and currently houses 3,165 minimum-, medium-, and maximum-custody inmates. The prison employs more than 1,200 people.

Ironwood is adjacent to Chuckawalla Valley State Prison, which is set for closure next year.