Child Molester Killed By Fellow Inmate, Just Days After Getting To Prison, Officials Say

A convicted child molester was killed by another inmate after being in a California prison for less than a week, officials say.

Agustin Duran, 66, arrived at the Wasco State Prison, located about 30 miles northwest of Bakersfield, on July 2. By July 7, he was attacked by a teenage inmate, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

That evening, Andres Ayon, 19, beat Duran in his face and upper torso with his fists, officials say.

“An alarm was sounded and all inmates got down on the ground with the exception of Ayon, who continued to strike Duran,” the Department of Corrections’ press release states. It wasn’t until staff used a pepper spray grenade that  Ayon finally stopped his assault on Duran. He was arrested and brought to a temporary holding cell, while Duran was placed on a gurney and transported to a triage treatment area. About an hour after the attack, Duran was airlifted to an outside hospital, officials said. He was declared dead about 20 hours later.

Duran was supposed to serve 55 years to life with the possibility of parole for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old.

Ayon is also new to the jail; he has been incarcerated since June 22, according to KTLA 5 in Los Angeles. He’s serving a six-year sentence for second-degree robbery and use of a deadly weapon. He suffered minor injuries during his alleged attack on Duran, for which he has received treatment at the prison.

Wasco State Prison was opened in 1991 and houses around 4,900 inmates.

Agustin DUran

The incident is under investigation. In February 2017, officials launched a homicide investigation after inmate Jason Morris, 43, was found killed in his cell at the same jail. Morris was also a convicted child molester.

[Photo: Megan’s Law]