By Shea Johnson
Daily Press
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Four inmates have been charged with first-degree murder in the 2013 beating death of another at a medium-security federal prison facility in Victorville and could potentially face the death penalty, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.
The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury on Aug. 29, was unsealed Tuesday. The defendants are accused of premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the death of a 38-year-old inmate identified in the indictment only as “J.S.”
The victim was repeatedly hit and kicked on Oct. 1, 2013 and died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head, prosecutors say. Prior to the attack, he had been escorted to the recreation yard in Federal Correctional Institution II, where the assault allegedly occurred and which holds roughly 800 inmates. FCI II is one of four facilities in the Federal Correctional Complex.
The defendants charged were identified as Aurelio “Augie” Patino, 35, most recently of Riverside; Adilson “Shanky” Reyes, 37, most recently of Los Angeles; Christopher “Sneaky” Ruiz, 44, most recently of San Diego; and Jose “Torch” Villegas, 37, most recently of Los Angeles.
Per the indictment, Patino, Ruiz and Villegas allegedly used their hands and feet to strike the victim and when Reyes was informed the victim was no longer breathing, he reportedly ordered the three to continue the beating.
Patino had been serving a 16-month sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and he is currently serving a 100-month sentence in state prison, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
Reyes is serving a 135-month sentence in a cocaine distribution case. Ruiz is serving a 10-year sentence after being convicted on racketeering and methamphetamine charges; and Villegas is serving 15 years in a methamphetamine case.
All four are being housed in different prisons now and “in the near future” will be arraigned in federal court, prosecutors say.
They face a mandatory sentence of life without parole in federal prison if convicted. The FBI investigated the attack.