Two inmates from Los Angeles County are suspected in the fatal attack of another prisoner at Wasco State Prison in Kern County, officials announced Monday.

According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, last week, prison staff witnessed two inmates attacking a fellow inmate.

Guards used tear gas and non-lethal weapons to stop the attack, which resulted in 34-year-old Angel Carrasco suffering serious wounds from two “improvised weapons” recovered at the scene.

Carrasco, a former gang member who was serving a life-sentence for first-degree murder in Tulare County, was transported to an outside hospital and pronounced dead.

Jose D. Castro, 37, and Darnell Rodas, 22, were detained and placed in restrictive housing for their roles in the attack.

Both men arrived at Wasco State Prison from Los Angeles County. Castro arrived in January 2025 to serve a 21-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter with a firearm enhancement. Rodas was admitted in February 2024 to serve a four-year term for second-degree robbery as a second-strike offender.

The attack, which has been ruled a homicide, remains under investigation by the prison’s Investigative Services Unit and the Kern County District Attorney’s Office.

The Office of the Inspector General and Kern County Coroner’s Office have also been notified, CDCR officials said.

The facility where the attack took place is currently under limited access, they said.