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The Sheriff’s Department Saturday said the death of a 33- year-old inmate, who was serving a manslaughter sentence at the California State Prison facility in Lancaster, has been ruled as suspicious pending the outcome of a coroner’s autopsy.

Detectives have learned prison guards were alerted by an inmate on Friday that Gordon Rowell was possibly unconscious in his cell, said Deputy Guillermina Saldana of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

When the guards checked at about 9:30 a.m. Friday, they found Rowell unresponsive, Saldana said.

Staff members at the California State Prison-Los Angeles County immediately began life-saving measures and an ambulance was called, but Rowell was pronounced dead at the prison’s medical facility, according to Lt. Duane Bennett of the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Rowell was in CDCR custody since July 11, 2003 and serving a 13-year- sentence for voluntary manslaughter and resisting arrest convictions in San Diego County, Bennett said.

Located in the 44700 block of 60th Street West, California State Prison- Los Angeles County opened in 1993 and houses about 3,540 inmates, according to the CDCR.

—City News Service

Death of inmate serving manslaughter sentence ruled suspicious pending autopsy was last modified: by

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