Child molester beaten to death in California prison days after he arrived

He went to prison for raping a child — days later, an inmate killed him

Agustin Duran, a convicted child molester, had a good chance of spending the rest of his life behind bars.

The 66-year-old had recently been convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old. He faced 55 years to life behind bars with the possibility of parole.

But Duran didn’t spend much time behind bars. That’s because another inmate, 19-year-old Andres Ayon, beat the man to death just days after Duran arrived at the Wasco State Prison in California, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Wasco State Prison officials are investigating the death of Agustin Duran, 66, as a homicide, according to a Wednesday news release. Inmate Andres Ayon, 19, attacked Duran on Saturday night, punching him in the face and chest. 

When Ayon refused to stop striking Duran, prison staff released a pepper spray grenade. Ayon then fell to the ground and cooperated. Staff handcuffed him and placed him in a temporary holding cell, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. 

An hour after the attack began, Duran was airlifted to a hospital. He died the next day. Ayon was treated for minor injuries and has been placed in a segregation unit while officials investigate the incident. 

Duran arrived at the prison on July 2 to serve 55 years to life with the possibility of parole for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old. Ayon had been in custody since June 22 and was serving six years for robbery and use of a deadly weapon.

Ayon, sentenced to six years for use of a deadly weapon and second-degree robbery, finally stopped beating Duran once prison staff used pepper spray to break up the attack, authorities say. Duran was airlifted to a hospital while Ayon was handcuffed and put in a holding cell.

Duran died just before 5 p.m. the following day. He had arrived to the prison six days before he was declared dead.

The Wasco State Prison, open since 1991, holds just under 5,000 inmates and another 1,500 employees.