Inmate death at a California prison is being investigated as homicide, authorities say

An inmate at a California state prison is being investigated in connection to a homicide after another prisoner died last week from injuries suffered in June, prison officials said.

The Investigative Services Unit at Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy is investigating 36-year-old Helder Almeida on suspicion of murder after William Pratt died Friday. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Almeida attacked Pratt, 61, on June 8, “hitting him in the head and face with his fists.”

Corrections officers responded and the hitting stopped, CDCR said. Pratt was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment of head injuries. Pratt was later transferred to a long-term care facility for continued treatment, where he died.

Pratt was serving a nine-year sentence for assault with a deadly weapon after being convicted in Los Angeles County in 2017. The charge was his second offense, officials said.

Almeida is serving two years and eight months for possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, possession/manufacturing/selling metal knuckles, possessing/owning a firearm by a felon or addict and possession of an assault weapon. The inmate was convicted this year in Contra Costa County.

The Office of the Inspector General has been notified of the murder investigation.

DVI, which houses 1,471 inmates and employs 1,080 people, was named after late state Sen. Charles Deuel. The prison processes new inmates and contains a general population who are offered programs designed to prepare inmates for return into society, CDCR’s statement said.