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Death Of Inmate In California State Prison Investigated As 'Suspicious'

LANCASTER (CBSLA.com) — An inmate at California State Prison in Lancaster was reportedly found unresponsive in his cell Friday morning and his death is being called "suspicious."

Officials said inmate Gordon Rowell, 33, was found unresponsive around 9:30 a.m.

LAC staff immediately began lifesaving measures and an ambulance was called. Rowell was pronounced dead at 9:44 a.m. by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

RELATED LINK: Death Of Inmate At California State Prison In Lancaster Is Investigated

Detectives have learned that prison guards were alerted by an inmate that an inmate in a different cell was possibly unconscious.

On Saturday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Information Bureau said the death is being investigated as "suspicious" pending the outcome of an autopsy.

Rowell had been serving a 13-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter.

There is no further information available at this time.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

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