On January 7, 2024, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) initiated a homicide investigation into the death of Enrique Saucedo at Centinela State Prison (CEN), according to a news release by CDCR.
Around 2:14 p.m., officers witnessed David Veloz and Rigoberto Estrada allegedly assaulting another incarcerated individual, Enrique Saucedo, in the recreational yard. Staff promptly intervened, giving verbal commands to stop the attack, but it took seven applications of O.C. Pepper Spray to bring the situation under control.
Staff initiated life-saving measures on Saucedo while sending for an ambulance. Following the intervention, he was transferred to a medical center for advanced care. The institution received word that Saucedo did not survive his injuries in the emergency room, and at 5:49 p.m., he was officially declared dead.
Authorities found two weapons crafted by inmates at the scene. Veloz and Estrada are now in restricted housing, and there are limitations on population movement. The CSP-CEN Investigative Services Unit and the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office are actively conducting an ongoing investigation. The Imperial County Coroner is set to determine the official cause of Saucedo’s death.
The incident, fortunately, did not cause any injuries to Centinela State Prison staff members or additional incarcerated individuals.
Inmate Sentences and Transfers
Sentenced on November 1, 2018, Saucedo, aged 29, was admitted to CDCR from Los Angeles County. His 14-year sentence was related to one count of manufacturing, selling, distributing, and transporting assault weapons and one count of transporting/importing a controlled substance. CDCR custody began on November 27, 2018.
David Veloz, aged 40, started serving his CDCR sentence on January 21, 2009, from Los Angeles County, with a term of 25 years to life for attempted murder. His transfer to CDCR custody occurred on February 23, 2009.
Lastly, on October 12, 2006, Estrada, aged 45, received a sentence to the CDCR from Riverside County. His sentence comprised two life terms with the possibility of parole, resulting from one count of attempted murder and first-degree murder. Estrada entered CDCR custody on November 9, 2006.
In October 1993, CEN, named after Cerro Centinela (the Spanish name for Mount Signal), opened its doors. This mountain straddles the U.S.-Mexico border.
Source: https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/news/2024/01/08/centinela-state-prison-officials-investigating-the-death-of-an-incarcerated-person-as-a-homicide-2/