Shooter in Richmond restaurant killings is investigated after cellmate dies

A man serving a life sentence for a double killing in a Richmond restaurant is under inquiry after the death of his cellmate Related Articles Man stabbed multiple times in West Oakland Former Monterey County music trainer sentenced to years in prison Docs Alleged bribe came before East Bay homebuilders played all legal cards East Bay shooting leaves man injured Baby Phoenix s family calls for change two years after infant s death Jose Rodriguez died on Friday June after being identified unresponsive in his cell at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation declared His cellmate Steven Miranda was placed in restricted housing while the death is investigated as a homicide Rodriguez s cause of death was not published by the prison agency He was and had been at Soledad since serving a -year sentence from Orange County for attempted second-degree murder and criminal gang activity Miranda has been at the prison since June when he was sentenced in the fatal shootings of two men at Alvarado Pit Boss Barbeque Bar Grill Miranda and Eliseo Flores masked with bandanas walked into the restaurant where friends Alvaro Garcia-Pena and Intez Ahmed were having a beer Miranda fired a handgun into the floor and Flores opened fire on the men with his shotgun Prosecutors revealed the shooters were gang members and targeted the two men because they were wearing a color claimed by a rival gang Miranda under third-strike guidelines received two consecutive sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole plus an additional years to life The same sentence was given to co-defendant Ignacio Ruiz described as the mastermind and getaway driver They were convicted of two counts of first-degree murder conspiracy to commit murder and criminal gang participation Flores made a plea deal and was sentenced to years to life and a man who acted as a lookout got years