IONE, Calif. — The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has launched a homicide investigation after an inmate was found unresponsive in his cell at the Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) In Ione
On Oct. 18, prison guards were conducting a security check around 10:20 p.m., when they found Emil Jones unresponsive, officials said.
The officers began life-saving measures and transported him to the Triage and Treatment Area, where he was pronounced dead by a physician, officials said.
Another inmate, Jose Lizarraga, shared the cell with Jones. Lizarraga was removed from the cell, placed in restraints, and moved to restrictive housing, officials said.
The MCSP Investigative Services Unit and the Amador County District Attorney’s office are leading the investigation of Jones’s death.
Authorities said Jones was 57 years old and was serving a 16-year sentence for assault with a firearm. Lizarraga, 43, is serving a 16-year sentence for carjacking evade or attempt to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly.
An autopsy will be performed by the Amador County Coroner to determine Jones’s cause of death.
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