Three Lower Valley men have been charged with bludgeoning a murder suspect to death in the Yakima County jail.
Julian Luis Gonzalez, 20, of Toppenish; Deryk Alexander Donato, 25, of White Swan; and Felipe Luis Jr., 19, of Yakima, were charged with aggravated first-degree murder in the death of Jacob Ozuna on Sunday night.
Ozuna, a Norte?o gang member, was booked into jail and was awaiting trial in connection with the May 10 shooting death of Dario Alvarado III in the 100 block of Winaway Road near Toppenish. Alvarado, also a documented Norte?o gang member, was shot several times following an argument outside a home.
Ozuna was booked into the jail’s Norte?o unit following his extradition from Montana in May, officials said. Jail staff segregate members of rival gangs.
County corrections officers spotted inmates standing around Ozuna, who was on the floor of the unit, around 11:49 p.m. Sunday night. Ozuna shared a cell with Donato, while Luis and Gonzalez were cellmates, according to court documents.
Jail surveillance video shows Luis, Donato and Gonzalez in the downstairs common area of the unit before going upstairs to where Ozuna was being distracted by another inmate, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by Yakima County sheriff’s detectives.
The three attacked Ozuna with their fists and feet, knocking him unconscious, and resumed the beating when he appeared to start moving, the affidavit said. At one point, the three dragged Ozuna’s body down the stairs by his feet, causing his head to hit each step on the way down, according to court documents.
Once on the floor, the men began stomping on Ozuna’s face when he moved his arm, the affidavit said.
Detectives said the attack took more than 13 minutes.
