Lassen County prison inmate murdered, two inmates suspected

Officials at a Lassen County jail are investigating the death of an inmate as a homicide, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said. Two inmates, Luis Alvarez, 30, and Vincent G. Martinez, 41, are under suspicion after staff observed them attacking the victim.

At about 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, officers at High Desert State Prison in Susanville responded to Martinez and Alvarez's attack on another inmate, Anthony R. Alvarez Jr., 29, in a day room, officials said. Staff began life-saving measures on Alvarez and took him to the prison's triage area, but by 6:23 p.m. he was pronounced dead.

Anthony Alvarez was admitted from Fresno County in 2021 and was serving a 10-year prison sentence for attempted first-degree murder.

Luis Alvarez of San Jose was picked up from Santa Clara County in 2019 and is serving a life sentence for premeditated murder with the possibility of parole. Luis Alvarez was found guilty in 2018 of killing an Oakland man near the Plaza de Cesar Chavez park.

Martinez was picked up from Kings County in 2014 and is serving a 22-year sentence for attempted premeditated murder and other crimes.

Officers recovered two weapons made by the inmates at the scene, officials said. Luis Alvarez and Martinez were placed in a detention facility pending the outcome of the investigation.

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