California State Prison Solano Officials Investigating the Death of an Incarcerated Person as a Homicide

VACAVILLE - California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials are investigating the Sept. 24, 2025, death of an incarcerated person at California State Prison Solano (SOL) as a homicide.

On Sept. 24, 2025, at 7:40 a.m., staff responded to incarcerated persons Christian M. Dumas and Stephen J. Archer II attacking incarcerated person Brenten G. Kinzenbaw on the Facility B recreation yard. Staff immediately responded, utilizing chemical agents to quell the attack. Officers immediately restrained Dumas and Archer and removed them from the yard, initiated life-saving measures on Kinzenbaw and activated 911. Kinzenbaw was transported to the institution's triage and treatment area where he was pronounced deceased by prison medical staff at 8:15 a.m.

No staff or additional incarcerated people were injured. Officers recovered one improvised weapon at the scene.

Dumas and Archer have been placed in restricted housing pending an investigation by the SOL Investigative Services Unit and the Solano County District Attorney's Office. The Office of the Inspector General was notified, and the Solano County Coroner will determine Kinzenbaw's official cause of death.

Kinzenbaw, 27, was most recently returned from parole with a new sentence from San Diego County on Sept. 13, 2023. He was sentenced to five years, four months for assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury as a second striker and evading or attempting to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly as a second striker.

Dumas, 24, was most recently received from Kern County on Nov. 8, 2024. He was sentenced to eight years, eight months for two counts of using tear gas / tear gas weapon against a peace officer as a second striker and harming / obstructing with injury a police dog / horse as a second striker. Dumas received an additional sentence of four years from Kern County for evading or attempting to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly as a second striker and vehicle theft as a second striker to be served concurrently with the above sentence.

Archer, 38, was most recently received from Sonoma County on April 5, 2023. He was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder pursuant to PC 2933.2, possessing / owning a firearm by a felon or addict, and possessing ammunition by a prohibited person with enhancements for the intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury / death, discharging a firearm, and the use of a firearm.

SOL, which opened in 1984, houses more than 3,600 minimum-, medium- and maximum-security incarcerated people. The prison, located in Solano County, provides educational, medical and mental health services.

Brenten G. Kinzenbaw (deceased)

Christian M. Dumas

Stephen J. Archer II