High Desert prison inmate dies after alleged assault by cellmate

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An inmate at High Desert State Prison in Susanville was found dead after an alleged assault by his cellmate, prison officials said.

The 48-year-old inmate was found unresponsive in his cell at about 7:20 a.m. Wednesday and was pronounced dead about a half-hour later, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said. Authorities provided no details about the alleged assault except to say the death is being investigated as a homicide. The inmate’s 41-year-old cellmate was being kept in isolation during the investigation.

The inmate who died, whose name has not been released pending notification of next of kin, was serving a 22-year sentence for assault with a deadly weapon. The cellmate, who has also not been named, is serving a 28-year sentence for penetration with force against a victim’s will, assault with a deadly weapon and rape.

Both inmates were from Los Angeles County.

In a separate incident, a 30-year-old inmate was attacked and killed at Calipatria State Prison in Imperial County on Monday, department officials said. Authorities identified his 30-year-old cellmate as a suspect.

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— Kate Mather