Merced County jail inmate dies two weeks after he was beaten while in custody

A 31-year-old Los Banos man died Sunday, about two weeks after he was beaten by other inmates at the Merced County jail, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday.

Aaron J. Bonilla was beaten June 11 and suffered severe head and body injuries. He was taken to a Modesto hospital where he died Sunday, Deputy Daryl Allen said in a statement.

Investigators say Bonilla was a Norteno gang member who was attacked by two other Norteno gang members, Steven Rincon, 27, of Fresno, and Reyes J. Carrillo, 23, of Merced.

Jail staffers were conducting a regular security check when they found Bonilla on the ground in his cell, authorities have said.

Rincon is in custody awaiting trial for a 2015 incident in which he’s charged with assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer. Rincon, of Fresno, was believed to be the driver of a car that officers stopped moments before his passenger initiated a gun battle with police.

Rincon remains in jail on $670,000 bail.

Carrillo was jailed charged with the 2015 death of Edward Soriano Ortez. Investigators believe Carrillo killed the 43-year-old man for trying to drop out of a gang.

Investigators believe the attack was gang-related, but have said a specific motive for the violence remains unclear.

Allen said authorities likely would seek murder charges against the two suspects.

At least four violent episodes at a sheriff’s jail facilities in Merced County have been reported in June. All four incidents have involved Norteno gang members, authorities have said.

An Atwater man in custody on a murder charge stabbed another inmate June 7 about 20 to 30 times, according to deputies. Bonilla was attacked on June 11. A third incident was reported June 14 at the John Latorraca Correctional Facility on Sandy Mush Road.

Three more inmates were taken to the hospital Thursday after a fight among Norteno gang members. The Frank Garcia, 49, was stabbed with a makeshift weapon during an argument with Steven Aguilar and William Green. Deputies described Aguilar as the “primary aggressor.”

All three inmates suffered injuries but were expected to recover.

The downtown jail was constructed in 1960 and generally is considered a more secure facility than the John Latorraca Correctional Facility on Sandy Mush Road. The sheriff’s office in 2015 received grant money for a major renovation project for the Sandy Mush facility to increase security and provide more programs for rehabilitation.

This story was originally published June 26, 2017 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Merced County jail inmate dies two weeks after he was beaten while in custody."