UPDATE (3:57 p.m.) - The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says Paul Flores was taken to an outside medical facility on Wednesday and is in serious condition.
The information officer says the circumstances surrounding Flores' injury are being investigated by the prison's investigative services unit.
—
ORIGINAL STORY: Convicted killer Paul Flores is in a hospital after being attacked in prison, attorney Harold Mesick confirmed to KSBY News on Wednesday.
Last October, Flores was convicted of the 1996 murder of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. In March, he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
The 46-year-old was being housed at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga when the attack occurred.
The extent of his injuries is unknown. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is expected to release more information.
Flores and Smart were both students at Cal Poly when she disappeared following an off-campus party.
He was long considered a person of interest in the case. In April 2021, Flores was arrested and charged with Smart's murder.
His father, Ruben, was also arrested and tried on a charge of accessory after the fact; however, a jury found him not guilty.
A court hearing was scheduled to take place this week in which Paul Flores was expected to request that Mesick, who was his father's attorney during trial, represent him for the restitution portion of the case.
