Crime & Safety
Inmate Death Being Investigated As Homicide In Monterey Co.
The victim was sent to prison on Nov. 16, 2016, from San Mateo County to serve 16 years for robbery.
MONTEREY COUNTY, CA — The death of an inmate at a prison in Monterey County is being investigated as a homicide after the inmate died Monday, officials with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Tuesday. Jose Alcantar-Ortega, 19, was pronounced dead at 5:52 p.m. at a hospital after he was found lying in his cell Friday in Salinas Valley State Prison.
Prison staff responded at about 11:20 a.m. Friday to an alleged disturbance in Facility B and found Alcantar-Ortega lying in his cell. Corrections officials said an alarm was sounded and staff removed Alcantar-Ortega from his cell and began life-saving efforts.
Alcantar-Ortega was taken to a hospital outside of the prison with multiple stab wounds to his head, neck and upper chest. Prison staff found two weapons that were allegedly manufactured by inmates. Corrections officials said staff removed two other inmates, who have been identified as suspects, from Alcantar-Ortega's cell.
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The suspects were identified as 26-year-old Alberto Cortez and 25-year-old Jaime Romero. According to corrections officials, the two are now being held separate from other inmates.
Alcantar-Ortega went to prison Nov. 16, 2016, from San Mateo County to serve 16 years for two-counts of second-degree robbery. Last year, however, he was convicted of assault with force likely to produce great
bodily injury and he was sentenced to seven more years in prison.
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Corrections officials said Cortez entered the prison system Nov. 17, 2014, from Monterey County to serve 35 years to life without parole for first-degree murder. In 2016, he was convicted of assault with a deadly
weapon on a peace officer/firefighter and criminal gang activity and sentenced to nine more years.
Corrections officials said Romero entered the California prison system in August 2014 from San Mateo County to serve 17 years and four months for assault with a semiautomatic weapon, resisting a peace officer resulting in death or serious injury and possessing/owning a gun by a felon or addict.
By Bay City News
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