Wasco prison inmate convicted of battery

A Wasco State Prison inmate, Jose Carrasco, was convicted by a Kern County jury on Tuesday for battery causing great bodily injury to a correctional officer.

Carrasco, 27, was convicted of four separate counts, including assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury and three counts of battery on a correctional officer.

The jury also made special findings that one of the correctional officers suffered great bodily injury by the defendant during the commission of the crime.

According to a press release by the Kern County District Attorney's Office, the crime occurred on July 22 last year when Carrasco asked a correctional officer for toilet paper within a week of arriving as an inmate.

He then attacked the officer by punching him in the face and nose, pushing him inside an office, and locking the door behind them.

Carrasco continued to attack the officer with multiple punches to the face, head and upper torso keeping his back against the door to slow down responding officers.

Further, the release stated that when officers could unlock the office door, Carrasco used his body weight to slam the door shut. Officers eventually forced entry into the office.

Once inside, Carrasco attacked the two responding officers but was eventually detained. The victim suffered a fractured nose and face causing severe breathing problems, extensive bleeding and required surgery. The initial officer also injured his hand and back during the attack.

Carrasco was sentenced to the Department of Corrections in 2022 for robbery and has a prior robbery conviction from 2015. Both prior violent felonies were committed in Los Angeles County.

District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer commented on the conviction: "Inmates that continue to commit violent crimes despite being incarcerated in prison will be prosecuted and their sentences extended."

"Carrasco, who had already been convicted of two prior 'strike' offenses, committed yet another violent crime while in prison. He is eligible for a third-strike life sentence that will protect the public from additional harm at his hands."

Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 2.

Carrasco was scheduled to be released in 2024 but now faces a sentence of up to 48 years to life in prison for the latest convictions.