Israel M. Mendoza
Israel M. Mendoza, 40, was held at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad, California, when he died on October 14, 2025. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said another incarcerated person assaulted him that afternoon, and paramedics pronounced him dead at 5:52 p.m. The department is investigating the death as a homicide, and the Monterey County Coroner will determine the official cause of death. One account places the assault at about 5:15 p.m., while the others give no time for it.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody
Reported by: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (the agency that held him). The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.
News reports (3)
- Salinas Valley State Prison Officials Investigating the Death of an Incarcerated Person as a Homicide - News Releases - California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
- CDCR officials investigating Oct. 14 inmate death at Salinas Valley State Prison as homicide
- 2 Inmates From IE Accused In Separate Prison Killings