Francisco Javier Aguilar, 36

Francisco Aguilar, a 36-year-old Latino, was found dead Tuesday, May 29, at the California State Prison in the 44700 block of 60th Street in Northeast Antelope Valley, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Aguilar was pronounced dead about 1:18 a.m. after being found unresponsive in his bunk, according to a news release from the prison. He was found with a cable wrapped around his neck.

His cellmate, Aaron Alvarez, 42, is suspected in the killing and was placed in isolation in the prison’s administrative segregation unit, officials said.

Alvarez is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder on a Kern County conviction.

The slain inmate had been in prison since 1999 and was serving a life sentence for sexual assault of a child in San Diego County, prison officials said.

The death is being investigated by prison staff and detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

It marks the second time in six months that an inmate at the Antelope Valley prison was accused of killing a cellmate.

In December, guards found an inmate dead in his bunk after his cellmate passed them a note at breakfast alerting them to the body.

After investigators saw "something suspicious" on the body, the cellmate became the chief suspect.

Officials said Tuesday the December homicide was still under investigation.

--Kim Christensen