Convicted killer slain in California prison attack

IMPERIAL, Calif. (AP) — A California prison inmate serving a life sentence has died after he was attacked with hand-made weapons by two other prisoners, state corrections officials said Tuesday.

William Quintero, 47, was attacked Monday in a recreation yard at Centinela State Prison and was airlifted to a hospital where he died about nine hours later, authorities said.

Two weapons were recovered.

The prison is located in Imperial County, north of the Mexican border.

Quintero and his alleged attackers, Jose Perez and Juan Serrano, were all serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Quintero was serving his sentence from Los Angeles County for first-degree murder, kidnapping and robbery.

Perez, 46, was also serving a Los Angeles County sentence for first-degree murder, second-degree murder and kidnapping. He later was convicted of possessing a controlled substance while in jail, and had a prior sentence for being a felon in possession of a gun.

Serrano, 34, was sentenced in Santa Barbara County for first-degree murder, along with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and conspiracy to participate in criminal street gang acts.