Morro Bay inmate gets new charges on prison assault

A Morro Bay inmate is one of two convicts facing new charges this week after the pair assaulted two correctional officers in the U.S. Penitentiary at Atwater. 

Daniel Higgins of Morro Bay and Austin Noblitt of Portland, Ore., were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of assaulting two correctional officers. 

The assault occurred on November 21, 2022, at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater, according to court documents. 

The two men allegedly punched the officers repeatedly in the head and torso, causing injuries. Each man faces two counts of assault on a federal officer and could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count if convicted.