One former Sacramento state prison guard on Tuesday has pleaded guilty to lying about another guard’s actions after he fatally injured an inmate by dragging him by the legs, sending him across the floor on his head, said federal prosecutors.
The suspect, 32-year-old Ashley Marie Aurich, admitted to falsifying official documents during a federal investigation. Authorities scheduled Aurich to be sentenced on April 12.
Falsifying Official Documents
Prosecutors said that Aurich and Arturo Pacheco, another state prison guard, visited a 65-year-old inmate’s cell at the California State Prison-Sacramento in September 2016 to transfer the individual to a different cell. However, documents claimed that during the transfer, the handcuffed prisoner stopped walking, who was then pulled by Pacheco by the legs, forcing him down to the concrete floor head first.
Authorities quickly transferred the victim to a local hospital but lost his life two days later. Prosecutors did not reveal information regarding the identity of the prisoner. Prison officials fired both of the guards involved in the incident in 2018.
Prosecutors said that Aurich filed a state prison report later that day when the inmate died as the prisoner attempting to flee the guards by spinning around and moving forward. The writings said that she only used force to overpower the man’s resistance. A grand jury indictment wrote that Aurich said Pacheco used his weight to control the rampaging man, sending him stomach first to the floor with his face down.
The other guard involved, 38-year-old Pacheco, is waiting for his trial on separate charges regarding the incident. Despite officials saying he did not commit homicide, he was charged with violating the inmate’s right to be free of cruel and unusual punishment and filing a false report, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Additionally, in May 2016, officials charged Pachecowith pepper-spraying a 54-year-old inmate in the face. Authorities said the guard conducted the cruel act despite the prisoner quietly standing inside his cell. Officials said Pacheco also filed a false report on the incident, saying the inmate was trying to harm himself before he attacked him.
