Cellmate Identified As Suspect In Death Of Inmate

FOLSOM (CBS13) — Officials are investigating an inmate death at the California State Prison, Sacramento as a homicide.

Inmate Tou Thao, 38, was found unresponsive in his cell Thursday during an institutional count. Staff started CPR and Thao was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead approximately 40 minutes later.

Officials say Thou's cellmate, 45-year-old Jose Negrete, is the suspect. He has been placed in segregated housing during the investigation.

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Negrete is serving a life sentence with a possibility of parole for sodomy with force, kidnapping, sexual battery, attempted penetration with a foreign object, sodomy in concert with force, and attempted oral copulation. He has been in prison since Jan. 1997.

CDCR received Thao in May 2016 from Butte County. He was serving a six-year sentence for robbery with force.