Bakersfield, CA – The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is investigating the death of an inmate at Wasco State Prison as a homicide following a violent altercation on March 14, 2025.
At approximately 2:29 p.m., staff witnessed inmates Jose D. Castro, 37, and Darnell Rodas, 22, allegedly attacking inmate Angel Carrasco, 34. Officers intervened by deploying chemical agents and non-lethal weapons to stop the assault. Despite immediate life-saving efforts, Carrasco was later pronounced dead at 3:51 p.m. after being transported to an outside medical facility.
Two improvised weapons were recovered from the scene of the attack. Officials have restricted movement in the affected area as the investigation continues.
Rodas and Castro have been placed in restricted housing as the WSP Investigative Services Unit and the Kern County District Attorney’s Office examine the incident. The Kern County Coroner will determine Carrasco’s official cause of death, while the Office of the Inspector General has been notified.
Carrasco, who had been incarcerated since December 2009, was serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder, among other charges. Rodas, who arrived at Wasco State Prison in February 2024, was serving a sentence for second-degree robbery. Castro had been incarcerated since January 2025 for voluntary manslaughter.
The investigation is ongoing.
