Fort Irwin specialist faces murder charge in death of fellow soldier 

A Fort Irwin, California-based Army specialist faces murder charges in the death of a fellow soldier.

The Army on Nov. 20 officially charged Spc. George Cornejo, 26, for the Oct. 28 death of Spc. Andrew Patrick Smith, 27, according to the Army’s Office of the Special Trial Counsel.

Smith’s cause of death remains under investigation, according to local media reports. Officials detained Cornejo the day after Smith’s death.

Both Cornejo and Smith were assigned to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, also known as the “Blackhorse Regiment.” The regiment is permanently assigned to Fort Irwin, the Army’s largest combat training center in the lower 48 states.

“Spc. Smith was loved by many and highly regarded amongst the team,” Col. Kevin Black, commander of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, said in a social media post. “As we mourn the loss of our teammate, our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow troopers.”

Cornejo, a Fontana, California, native, had been working as a construction equipment repairer. Smith, from Rye, New York, served as a utilities equipment repairer.

Military police responded to Smith’s on base residence on Oct. 28, where they discovered Smith badly injured. Officials transported him to Weed Army Community Hospital at Fort Irwin, where he was pronounced dead.

Cornejo is being held in pretrial confinement at the Naval Consolidated Brig in Miramar, California, the Southern California Newspaper Group reported.

Smith joined the Army in August 2021 and was assigned to Fort Irwin in March 2022.

The investigation remains open.

Army Criminal Investigation Division officials declined further comment. A spokesperson with the Army’s Office of the Special Trial Counsel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.