Mule Creek State Prison Inmate Dies

IONE (CBS13) - A California prison inmate serving a life sentence for sex charges, including raping a child, was found dead inside of his cell Wednesday.

Around 5:40 p.m., 46-year-old inmate Deandre Austin was found unresponsive in his cell at Mule Creek State Prison, according to a CDCR statement. Staff members called 911 and began life-saving measures.

Austin was pronounced dead at 6:30 p.m. His cellmate, Rodney Jordan, was placed in segregated housing, pending the outcome of the investigation into Austin's death.

According to prison officials, Austin was serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole for rape, lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under age 14, continuous sex abuse of a child under 14, penetration with a
foreign object with a victim under 14, oral copulation, and sodomy.

Jordan was serving a two-year sentence for first-degree burglary. He was paroled on July 31, 2018, and returned from parole on Sept. 4, 2018, from Los Angeles County for a new conviction. He was sentenced to five years for second-degree robbery.

Prison officials have not said whether they suspect foul play.