On Wednesday, a 23-year-old inmate at Kern Valley State Prison died from several stab wounds sustained during a riot involving 38 Hispanic inmates in the prison's maximum security facility.

Inmate Oscar Cruz was transported by ambulance to an outside hospital where he was pronounced dead at 8:26 p.m. Cruz was received from Los Angeles County on Jan. 21, 2005 with a 37-year sentence for first-degree robbery with the use of a firearm and gang enhancements.

The riot occurred at approximately 3:20 p.m. on Wednesday on KVSP's Facility B maximum-security general population yard. Correctional officers used lethal munitions, pepper spray and multiple direct impact rubber rounds to quell the incident. A correctional officer also discharged five rounds from the mini-14 rifle.

A total of 17 inmates were injured, one fatally. They were initially treated in the KVSP Correctional Treatment Center and transported to outside hospitals for further medical treatment. Four were struck with lethal rounds. Three suffered stab wounds. Another three suffered from injuries from the direct impact rounds. The remainder suffered bruises and abrasions from the fight. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening at this time. No prison employees were hurt.

Inmates were locked in their cells Thursday, although Hispanic inmates were
likely to remain on lockdown through the weekend as investigators examine
the cause of the fight, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokeswoman Terry Thornton said.

KVSP recovered four inmate-made weapons from the scene. KVSP's Investigative Services Unit is investigating the cause of the riot. They are also working closely with the Kern County District Attorney's Office, the Office of the Inspector General and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Deadly Force Investigation Team.

KVSP, one of two state prisons located in Delano, is a maximum-security prison and houses minimum- and maximum-security inmates. Approximately 4,700 inmates are housed there and the prison employs about 1,700 people.

— Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations and The Associated Press