California officials are investigating the death of a 25-year-old inmate as homicide

Harris Marley

Global Courant

The death of a 25-year-old inmate at North Kern State Prison in California is under investigation as a homicide, corrections officials said Tuesday.

An officer conducting a security check found Ricardo Saldivar unconscious in a holding cell Monday afternoon, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a statement.

Saldivar was taken to the prison’s medical treatment room, where he was pronounced dead, the statement said. The Kern County coroner will determine the official cause of death.

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Saldivar arrived in North Kern state last month after being sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder.

Global Courant

The Delano Prison, just north of Bakersfield, is a medium-security facility holding approximately 3,500 inmates.

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