California
Death row inmate killed in California prison as guards deploy blast grenades to control violent mob attack
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California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are investigating after a death row inmate was killed at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano on Friday.
Convicted murderer Mario Renteria, 36, allegedly started beating fellow inmate, Julian Mendez, 46, at about 10:30 a.m. Friday, prompting prison staff to respond.
Officers ordered them to get down, but the men failed to comply, according to a CDCR news release obtained by Fox News Digital.
Chemical agents initially stopped the attack, but more than 30 additional inmates rushed Renteria and began striking him.
Julian Mendez was pronounced dead after the jail attack. (CDCR)
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Orders to stop were ignored, and staff used multiple blast grenades to quell the violence, according to CDCR.
Mendez suffered multiple wounds, and life-saving measures were immediately taken. He was taken to the prison’s triage and treatment area, where a doctor pronounced him dead at 11:05 a.m.
Prisoner Mario Renteria was allegedly the first to attack the death row inmate. (CDCR)
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Officials said an improvised weapon was found at the scene, though the type of weapon was unclear.
Renteria remains in restricted housing pending investigation, according to CDCR.
Officials limited population movement to facilitate the investigation by the prison’s Investigative Services Unit and the Kern County District Attorney’s Office.
The Office of the Inspector General was notified, and the Kern County Coroner will determine Mendez’s official cause of death.
The Kern Valley State Prison attack involved more than 30 inmates in Delano, Calif., on Friday. (Kern Valley State Prison)
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Mendez was received from Riverside County on Dec. 2, 2004, according to CDCR. He received a condemned sentence in 2002 for the first-degree murder of two teenagers.
CDCR said Renteria was received from Riverside County on April 27, 2022, and was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder (a third-strike offense) and arson.
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Kern Valley State Prison opened in 2005 and houses over 3,100 minimum- and high-security-custody inmates.
Congressman Kevin Kiley has announced his plan to run in California’s newly redrawn 6th district.
In a statement on Monday, Rep. Kiley revealed he had considered running in the 5th District – which could have set up a possible showdown between two current Republican officeholders.
“It’s true that I was fully prepared to run in the new 5th, having tested the waters and with polls showing a favorable outlook in a “safe” district. But doing what’s easy and what’s right are often not the same,” Kiley stated.
Kiley currently represents California’s 3rd district, which originally comprised counties making up much of the back spine of the state.
As of the Prop. 50 redistricting push, the 3rd district was redrawn for the 2026 midterm election to lean toward the Democratic Party – with those eastern spine of California counties lopped off and more of Sacramento County, including Rancho Cordova, added.
California’s new 6th district is now comprised of Rocklin, Roseville, Citrus Heights, much of North and East Sacramento, and the city of West Sacramento. Democratic Rep. Ami Bera currently represents the district, but will be running for the new 3rd district in 2026.
Other declared candidates for the 6th district include Democrats Lauren Babb Thomlinson, Thien Ho, Richard Pan, Kindra Pring, Tyler Vandenberg, and Republicans Christine Bish, Craig DeLuz, and Raymond Riehle.
Kiley was first elected to the House in 2022 and was reelected in 2024.
SAN RAMON, Calif. (KGO) — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.4 struck near San Ramon at 11:21 p.m. Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
USGS said the tremor was about 8.4 km in depth.
According to the Geological Survey, people typically report feeling earthquakes larger than about magnitude 2.5.
The closer to the surface an earthquake occurs, the more ground shaking and potential damage it will cause.
No injuries have been reported.
This is the latest quake in San Ramon, which has seen multiple strings of tremors in the past several months.
Bay City News contributed to this report.
MAP: Significant San Francisco Bay Area fault lines and strong earthquakes
Zoom in on the map below and compare where you live to the significant faults and where strong earthquakes have struck in the Bay Area.
Stay with ABC7 News for the latest details on this developing story.
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Copyright © 2026 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Worshippers across Los Angeles were met with an increased law enforcement presence on Sunday as police and sheriff’s deputies stepped up patrols outside mosques, synagogues and cultural landmarks following the strikes on Iran.
Local officials said there are no credible threats to Southern California, but the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department heightened visibility as a precaution to ensure communities stay safe.
More demonstrations tied to the attack on Iran are expected Sunday and Monday. Several protests were held across Southern California on Saturday.
READ MORE | Rallies for and against military action in Iran draw demonstrators across Southern California
While Iranian-Americans celebrated in Westwood, protesters gathered in downtown Los Angeles to oppose the Trump administration’s attacks against Iran.
While some groups gathered in downtown Los Angeles to protest the strikes, others assembled in Westwood to celebrate “the fall of the Ayotollah,” according to organizers.
Authorities said they will continue monitoring events as the region prepares for additional gatherings in the days ahead.
This is a developing story. This article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.
Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
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