A 73-year-old inmate allegedly killed his 53-year-old cellmate at the Santa Rita Jail on Tuesday with no weapon in the maximum security section of the building.
Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly would not identify either the suspect or the victim, nor state how the man was killed. He also wouldn't say what the men were serving time for.
He said it appears that no weapon was used, but he would not elaborate on how the homicide occurred inside the behavioral mental health unit within the maximum security wing.
The death was reported about 8:50 a.m.
It's unclear how deputies were alerted. The death happened inside the cell with the door closed, and might have begun with some sort of struggle between the cellmates, Kelly said.
Alameda County Sheriff's deputy said that both inmates had mental health issues.
The homicide in Dublin follows on the heels of a killing inside San Quentin State Prison in Marin County last week. A Death Row inmate attacked a correctional officer in a shower area, slashing his right forearm with a weapon as he was being secured in the stall.
Local
ACSO working a homicide inside Santa Rita Jail. About 0850 hours. Detectives on scene. Inmate suspected of killing cellmate. Pio Sgt. Kelly pic.twitter.com/J0Qx5HDT9C — Alameda Co. Sheriff (@ACSOSheriffs) October 11, 2016
Housing unit 9 at #SantaRitaJail where #sheriff's Dept says inmate allegedly killed cellmate. #Homicide investigation underway pic.twitter.com/y0rNgfXO4m — RobertHanda (@RHandaNBC) October 11, 2016
#AlamedaCo #Sheriff dept says 73-year old inmate allegedly killed 56-year old cellmate at #SantaRitaJail.Both w mental health issues pic.twitter.com/YHqLUq5495 — RobertHanda (@RHandaNBC) October 11, 2016
