Northern California prison death under investigation as a homicide, CDCR says

Authorities are investigating the death of an inmate at Pelican Bay State Prison as a homicide following an assault inside a housing unit on Saturday.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said the man was attacked around 12:30 p.m. by two other incarcerated individuals, identified as Raul Garcia Jr., 37, and Francisco Ramirez Jr., 42. Staff responded with verbal commands, rendered medical aid, and called 911.

The victim, identified as Rodrigo Gomez, was transported by ambulance to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:24 p.m., according to the Del Norte County Coroner. No staff or additional incarcerated people at the high-security facility near Crescent City were injured, CDCR said. An improvised weapon was found at the scene, according to prison officials.

Garcia and Ramirez were moved to restricted housing pending investigations by the prison’s Investigative Services Unit and the Del Norte County District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Inspector General was notified, CDCR said. The coroner will determine the official cause of death.

Gomez, 38, had been incarcerated since Aug. 27 after being sentenced in Imperial County to life with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder and a consecutive four-year term for escape with force, CDCR said.

Garcia was sentenced in 2008 to life with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder in Los Angeles County. Ramirez was sentenced in 2010 to life without parole for first-degree murder, also in Los Angeles County.