LOS ANGELES, CA – Ramon Escobar, a notorious serial killer, is facing fresh murder charges following the death of his cellmate earlier this year, according to official sources. The deceased, 53-year-old Juan Villanueva, was found dead in his cell on February 24. Escobar, who was already serving multiple life sentences at North Kern State Prison, was charged with first-degree murder on Monday.
Escobar’s criminal history includes at least seven previous murders in both California and Texas, as noted by the authorities in their press release regarding his latest charge. He has also been convicted on seven counts of attempted second-degree murder. The Kern County District Attorney’s Office stated that the criminal complaint against Escobar includes seven special circumstance allegations based on his prior murder convictions – five in Los Angeles County and two in Harris County, Texas.
In addition to the murder charge, Escobar is also accused of committing an assault with malice on Villanueva. Villanueva was found unresponsive during a routine welfare check on the morning of February 24. Despite immediate lifesaving attempts, he was pronounced dead within fifteen minutes of being discovered.
Villanueva had been incarcerated since February 2, after being sentenced for the aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 years old on October 25, 2022. Authorities believe that Escobar, who was in the cell at the time, strangled Villanueva to death.
Escobar is due to be arraigned on Thursday. No further details about the incident have been released at this time.