A convicted sexual predator was sent to prison to pay for his crimes. As expected, he was put in a cell with another dangerous convict, and tragedy struck. This story highlights the perils of housing violent criminals together and the risks it poses to their safety.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has been plagued with problems in recent years, but the death of inmates has been a particular concern. However, the death of Juan Villanueva, an inmate at North Kern State Prison (NKSP) in Delano, garnered little outcry due to the nature of his crime.
Villanueva, 53, was ordered to be placed in CDCR from Los Angeles County for the rape of a minor child. He was sentenced to life in prison with parole for sexually assaulting a child younger than 14 years of age. He was transported to the prison less than three weeks before his death.
On that fateful day, a corrections officer conducting a security/welfare check noticed that Villanueva was unresponsive in the cell and immediately called for emergency medical staff members. An ambulance was called and the inmate was rushed to the prison’s triage and treatment area. He was declared dead at 9:03 a.m., according to a statement from the CDCR.
Investigators suspect that Villanueva’s cellmate, Ramon Escobar, 51, who is a convicted serial killer, murdered him. The CDCR made the decision to house Villanueva with Escobar, despite both prisoners serving time for serious violent crimes. Escobar, who is serving multiple life sentences, was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole for two counts of first-degree murder. Additionally, he was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for three counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted second-degree murder.
Escobar’s record is even more gruesome than the average murderer, which made him the prime suspect in the homicide. He confessed to killing his uncle and aunt in Texas before fleeing to California, where he continued his killing spree. He bludgeoned five people to death with a baseball bat and injured several others. Many of his victims were homeless individuals in Los Angeles and Santa Monica. Escobar illegally immigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador and was deported six times before the killings.
Although housing in the CDCR is determined by a classification score of compiled criminal records, some have their suspicions that the pair were placed together as a way of naturally ridding the prison system of the worst violent offenders. Regardless of the circumstances, a dangerous predator now has no chance of being released and harming another child.
The incident highlights the risks posed by housing violent offenders together, especially those with a history of committing heinous crimes. The CDCR should reconsider its policies and protocols for inmate housing to ensure the safety of all prisoners, no matter the severity of their crimes. The death of Juan Villanueva is a tragedy that should not be repeated, and steps must be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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