The death of an inmate at Solano State Prison is being investigated as a homicide

VACAVILLE – A murder investigation is underway after an inmate was found dead in his cell at Solano State Prison in Vacaville this week, authorities said Friday.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said prison officials were conducting walkthroughs Wednesday evening when they found 25-year-old Darian L. Hernandez unresponsive in his cell. Hernandez was pronounced dead a short time later despite medical personnel performing life-saving measures.

Hernandez’s cellmate, 23-year-old Jonathan M. Perez, was placed in a mandatory housing facility pending investigation results, the CDCR said.

The CDCR did not specify the manner of Hernandez’s death, only determining it was a homicide. The Solano County Coroner will determine Hernandez’s official cause of death.

Hernandez entered Solano Prison in 2018 and was expected to serve more than 12 years in prison for various gang and gun crimes. In 2021, he received an additional four years in prison for an attack on prison grounds.

Perez went to prison in 2021 to serve a 15-year sentence for assault and weapons possession.