An Arizona prison inmate that meets 16 life imprisonment for a 2004 confrontation in a correctional institution is suspected of killing three inmates last week, authorities said.
Ricky Wassenaar is the only suspect in the death of the three inmates, which occurred after “an altercation” in Tucson’s prison on Friday, said the Arizona corrections department, rehabilitation and reentning.
The causes of inmate deaths were not released, and an investigation is ongoing, said the state agency, known as AGRR, in a statement.
“Preliminary reports suggest that the Wassenaar intern acted with the intention of damaging the three men,” said the ADCRR.
The incident occurred in the Cimarron Unit of the Arizona Tucson State Prison Complex, the agency said.
Wassenaar and another inmate took two prison guards as hostages in 2004 and kept them captive in one of the longest prison clashes in the history of the United States.
He and Steven Coy used improvised knives in the attack in the Prison Complex of the state of Arizona-Lewis. The confrontation lasted 15 days, although an officer was released after a week.
The corrections department did not say what led to Friday’s mortal incident at the Prison Complex of the State of Arizona, Tucson.
The dead inmates were identified as Saul Alvarez, Thorne Harnage and Donald Lashley. All were being housed in the Tucson prison complex, said the ADCRR.
Álvarez was complying with a sentence for a condemnation for first -degree murder, Harnage was convicted of sexual behavior with a minor, and Lashley was sentenced after being convicted of sexual behavior with a minor and sexual abuse of a child, the department said.
Wassenaar was sentenced in 2005 to 16 consecutive life periods after the confrontation of the prison. He had been turning 28 years for armed hand and assault when he and Coy attacked the guards.
The corrections department said there is no threat in progress after Friday’s deadly incident in the Tucson prison complex.
The Inspector General of the ADCRR launched an investigation, he said.
“As this is an ongoing investigation, updates will be provided as they are available,” said the corrections department.
