The family of a California man whose killing went viral on social media after he was stabbed nearly 180 times at a state prison has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit.
The suit was filed in federal court in San Jose against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) in December.
It names state and prison officials as defendants and accuses them of failing to protect Joseph Mendoza while he was in custody at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad.
Highlights
- Joseph Mendoza was stabbed nearly 180 times in Salinas Valley State Prison, leading to his death on April 8, 2025.
- The family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging prison staff failed to protect Mendoza and intervene during the attack.
- A lawsuit claims guards delayed over 3 minutes to act, provided inadequate medical care, and shared attack videos illegally.
- Mendoza’s family says the viral video of his killing caused extra pain and stripped him of dignity on social media.
Joseph Mendoza was killed in April of last year, and footage of the attack went viral
Image credits: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Mendoza, 36, of Merced, was killed on April 8, 2025, inside a day room.
According to the lawsuit and prison records, two fellow inmates attacked him with makeshift knives, stabbing him repeatedly.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Mendoza's father, Ismael Mendoza, said he believed that the CDCR had failed his son, Bay City News Service reported.
"My son, he made many mistakes, but he took accountability ... he was there to do his time," he said. "But being stabbed 180 times and guards with lethal weapons not doing anything? That will rip your heart in pieces. I believe that the CDCR has failed him."
The lawsuit alleges that correctional staff at Salinas Valley State Prison failed to intervene for more than three minutes while Mendoza was violently attacked, despite having the training, weapons, and authority to use force to stop it.
It claims officers were understaffed, did not call for immediate backup or medical help, and allowed the assault to continue unchecked, resulting in fatal injuries.
The suit further alleges that when staff finally responded, they failed to provide timely and adequate medical care.
This included basic lifesaving measures and rapid transport for emergency treatment, which the family argues showed deliberate indifference to Mendoza’s safety and led to his death.
The complaint also alleges that prison personnel failed to properly secure key evidence after the attack, including surveillance footage and official reports, hindering accountability.
It claims some staff later shared video of the assault and its aftermath through personal cell phones with unauthorized people and on social media, violating privacy protections and departmental policy.
The lawsuit further alleges that staff ignored Mendoza’s earlier requests to be placed in protective custody before the assault occurred and allowed the general prison population to learn of his requests.
At Wednesday’s press conference, Mendoza’s mother, Zina Kumetat, said the online video of her son’s death has compounded the family’s pain.
“They stripped him of his dignity by humiliating him and putting that video on all social media platforms,” she said. “I’m still stuck on the day he died because of that video … It’s already been 10 months, and for me, it’s still yesterday.”
The lawsuit describes the actions and omissions of staff as reckless and malicious, and asserts they were a direct cause of Mendoza’s death and related civil rights violations.
In a statement released in April, the CDCR said that staff observed inmates Edgar Frayre and Nicolas Young attacking Mendoza in the dayroom.
“Staff immediately responded and issued several verbal commands to stop, which were ignored,” it said. “Staff then deployed multiple less-than-lethal use-of-force options, which ultimately quelled the incident. Frayre and Young were secured in handcuffs.”
In court records, Attorney General Rob Bonta and Deputy Attorney General Paul Kozina denied all of the allegations contained in the family’s lawsuit and requested a jury trial.
The first court date is expected within the next two months, according to family attorneys.