Sheriff's Department: Man Murdered in Banning Jail Cell

An inmate at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning was killed in his jail cell, but no suspects are in custody, Riverside County sheriff’s officials said Wednesday.

The inmate, whose identity was not immediately released, was discovered unconscious around 3 p.m. Tuesday after correctional deputies were dispatched to a cell block to investigate reports of “unknown trouble,” according to a sheriff’s department statement.

“Upon deputies’ arrival to the housing unit, they located a white male adult inmate suffering from traumatic injuries,” Sergeant Jeff Buompensiero said in a news release. “The male was located inside his cell and was unresponsive.”

Deputies and medical staff attempted life-saving measures, but the prisoner was pronounced dead at the scene. Homicide detectives were summoned to the facility and initiated an investigation.

The Banning jail can accommodate just over 1,000 male and female misdemeanor and felony offenders.

– City News Service contributed to this report.