A convicted rapist serving a life sentence in the California prison system was killed Sunday after he was allegedly attacked by another inmate at a Los Angeles County prison.
Renee Rodriguez, 51, was attacked in a common area at California State Prison LAC in Lancaster around 7:15 p.m. Sunday, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
An altercation involving Rodriguez and another inmate was witnessed by prison staff, which led to them deploying tear gas and other non-lethal weapons to break up the fight, officials said.
Rodriguez suffered multiple stab wounds from an improvised weapon and was transported to a medical facility at the prison for immediate treatment. He was then taken to an L.A. County hospital by ambulance, at which point he was pronounced dead by paramedics.
The man accused of attacking him has been identified as Kenneth Wilson, a 30-year-old convicted murderer serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Wilson has been in the CDCR system since February 2020, following a conviction for first-degree murder in Riverside County. He’s received additional convictions related to assault, robbery and possession of contraband while incarcerated.
Rodriguez had been incarcerated since May 2001, after he was convicted in L.A. County of rape with force or violence. He was also previously convicted for possessing and manufacturing improvised weapons while incarcerated at other prisons in the state.
Rodriguez was serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole, although the actual likelihood of him being released is unclear.
CDCR officials say the attack is being investigated as a homicide, and Wilson has been placed in restrictive housing for the time being. Movement has also been restricted in the common area where the attack happened.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the exact cause of death, an CDCR officials say the California Office of the Inspector General has been notified about the in-custody death.
The Lancaster area prison houses approximately 2,900 prisoners in minimum- and maximum-security facilities, according to CDCR.