November 23, 2023 - TEHACHAPI – California Correctional Institution (CCI) officials are investigating the death of an incarcerated person as a homicide.

At approximately 8:56 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 22, two incarcerated people, Carlos Cervantes and Armando Taylor, allegedly attacked David Moreno during an altercation.

Staff immediately responded, utilizing chemical agents to quickly quell the incident.

Moreno had been stabbed multiple times and life-saving measures were performed. While enroute to an outside medical facility, Moreno was pronounced deceased at 9:39 a.m. No staff or additional incarcerated people were injured.

Three inmate manufactured weapons were recovered at the scene. Cervantes and Taylor have been moved to restricted housing and population movement has been limited. An investigation continues by CCI’s Investigative Services Unit and the Kern County District Attorney’s Office. The Office of the Inspector General was notified, and the Kern County Coroner will determine Moreno’s official cause of death.

Moreno, 38, was received from Los Angeles County on April 21, 2004. He was sentenced on March 18, 2004 to life with the possibility of parole for two counts of attempted first-degree murder with the enhancement of intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury or death. On July 23, 2015, Moreno was sentenced an additional three years for battery on a non-prisoner, an in-prison offense.

Cervantes, 39, was received from Kern County on Aug. 23, 2018. He was sentenced on Aug. 9, 2018 to life without the possibility of parole for two counts of first-degree murder with the enhancements of discharging a firearm and intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury or death. On Feb. 14, 2020, he was sentenced additional time for the following in-prison offenses: four years for assault by an incarcerated person with means of force likely to result in great bodily injury as a second-striker and two years for possessing or manufacturing a deadly weapon as an incarcerated person and second-striker.

Taylor, 41, was received by Imperial County on Dec. 22, 2017. He was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder with the personal use of a dangerous or deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. On Nov. 3, 2020, he received one year for the in-prison offense of committing battery on a non-prisoner. On July 30, 2022, he received four years for the in-prison offense of committing assault with deadly weapon using force likely to result great bodily injury or death as a second-striker.

CCI opened in 1933 and is a maximum-security prison housing approximately 1,710 incarcerated people. The general population portion of the institution focuses on providing educational/vocational, and other rehabilitative opportunities.



Source: CDCR