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Inmate dead in homicide investigation at Salinas Valley State Prison

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SOLEDAD, Calif. (KION-TV) -- An inmate is dead with two others detained during a homicide investigation at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad.

According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the homicide took place after 5:39 p.m. with the victim, 36-year-old Joseph Mendoza, attacked by 30-year-old Edgar Frayre and 32-year-old Nicolas Young with makeshift weapons in one of the facilities.

Staff onsite issued commands but were ignored with staff then using less-than-lethal options to stop the incident.

Fraye and Young were handcuffed with Mendoza pronounced dead after medical aid attempts.

Fraye and Young are now in restrictive housing as the SVSP Investigative Services Unit and Monterey County District's Attorney's Office investigate the incident.

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Sergio Berrueta

Sergio Berrueta has been in the news for quite awhile going from studying print media to entering the realm of broadcast.

Originally from Bell Gardens, California, in Southeast Los Angeles. Berrueta started his professional news career in Eureka as a newscast producer for North Coast News (now The Northstate’s News) at KAEF ABC 23 in 2022. He pivoted a year later in 2022 going from behind-the-scenes to in front of the camera as a multimedia journalist for Redwood News Channel 3 (KIEM/KVIQ) also in Eureka.

Berrueta studied journalism at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) earning his Bachelor’s Degree. Berrueta was a staff writer, page editor, social media manager and editor-in-chief of the university’s El Lenador, the only bilingual publication in all of Humboldt County.

Before moving to the North Coast, Berrueta had earned his Associate’s Degree at East Los Angeles College in 2019 after beginning his educational journey in 2012. He also was on staff for the ELAC’s publication, ELAC Campus News, having been a staff writer, page editor, and online editor.

Outside of news experience, Berrueta has also been in education as an AmeriCorps tutor in East Hollywood from 2017 to 2019 and served in a government role as a National Hometown Fellow for Lead for America with the City of Arcata in 2021.

When not focusing on news, Berrueta is an avid amateur cinephile having written about films in free time. He also writes poetry, attempting to get through a backlog of video games, enjoys visiting new places along the California Coast, and trying to keep up with the latest music and podcasts.

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