Inmate Killed, Another Hurt in Fight at Riverside County Men’s Facility
A jail inmate from San Jacinto was killed Thursday during a fight inside Riverside County’s Southwest Detention Center near Murrieta.
Joseph Anthony Perez, 36, sustained blunt-force head injuries and was declared dead at Inland Valley Regional Medical Center in Wildomar less than an hour after guards restored order in the cellblock, which was occupied by 59 inmates.
Another inmate was injured and treated at Riverside County Regional Medical Center in Moreno Valley.
Sheriff’s Department investigators interviewed more than 50 inmates.
Investigators have not revealed why the fight started or if weapons were involved.
The slaying was the first at the jail, which opened in 1992.
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