Arizona inmate Roberto Venegas-Fernandes told authorities he killed his cellmate so he could stay in prison.
Arizona inmate Roberto Venegas-Fernandez told authorities he killed his cellmate so he could stay in prison.
Both of the men were being temporarily held at private facility prior to their scheduled transfer to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The body of the inmate was found the day after the men arrived.
During the early stages of the investigation it was thought that the two had been fighting when the death occurred.
Upon talking to Fernandez, authorities learned that the deceased was attacked while he was sitting on his bunk.
The suspect told them he first strangled the man, then switched between forcibly stepping on his head and strangling. He also bit him in the groin.
The extremely violent attack was to make sure first-degree murder charges were imposed.
He also said that he was afraid to leave prison, as if released he ‘d be without a place to go.
Fernandez is currently serving a sentence for sex crimes.
Once that penalty had been satisfied, he would have been deported back to Mexico as he was in the country illegally at the time of the offence.
