Inmate from Riverside County killed in Otay Mesa prison

OTAY MESA, Calif. (KESQ) - A 66-year-old inmate died in his Otay Mesa prison cell this weekend and the death was being investigated as a homicide, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.   

Hector Ozuna was found unresponsive inside his cell at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility at 6:07 a.m. Saturday, the CDCR said in a statement.

Ozuna's cell mate, 30-year-old Alexis Guerrero, was put into restricted housing pending an investigation by the facility's Investigative Services Unit and the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, the statement said.

No manufactured weapons were found at the scene, the CDCR stated.   

"Staff immediately responded and continued lifesaving measures on Ozuna as they transferred him to the prison's triage and treatment area. Subsequently, medical officials pronounced Ozuna deceased at 6:57 a.m.," according to the statement.

The Office of the Inspector General was notified, and the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will determine Ozuna's cause of death.   

Ozuna was received from Riverside County on Feb. 17, 2023. He was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for assault with a deadly weapon -- a third strike, which included a sentence enhancement of a violent felony intended to inflict great bodily injury.

Guerrero was received from San Bernardino County on June 13, 2024. He was sentenced to six years. It was unclear what crime or crimes he committed.