Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in California

It depends on how the will or other estate documents are written.

If it is a will, usually it will have alternate provisions, like "to X, provided X survives me by y days, if not, then to z". It may be that it will go to the heirs of the beneficiary but the document will tell you. If it says nothing and there is no one after the deceased beneficiary to take, it may wind up going to the deceased beneficiary's heirs anyway. Look at the document.