Thousand Palms inmate murdered in jail
A Thousand Palms man who was serving time at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning was murdered in his jail cell Tuesday afternoon.
According to Jeff Buompensiero with the Central Homicide Unit, deputies from the jail responded to 68-year-old Robert Anthony Hearn’s jail cell just after 3 p.m.
Deputies found Hearn suffering from traumatic injuries and he was unresponsive. Medical staff tried to save his life but he died in his cell, according to a release.
Authorities haven’t specified how he was murdered.
On Thursday night, detectives from the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility arrested Salvador Vega on suspicion of murder. Vega is a 51-year-old from Anaheim.
No further details have been released regarding the homicide.
Deputies didn’t say why Hearn was in jail, but information on jailbase.com states he was arrested on February 28 on charges of battery, cruelty to a dependent adult causing great bodily injury and brandishing a knife.
The suspect Salvador Vega was arrested on March 5 on charges of violating terms in a domestic violence case, residential burglary and vandalism, according to jailbase.com.
It’s unclear at this time if the two were sharing a jail cell or if Vega somehow managed to enter Hearn’s cell.
News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 will post updates as the investigation continues.
