November 4, 2025 – CRESCENT CITY, CA – California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are investigating the November 2, 2025, death of an incarcerated person at Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) as a homicide.
At approximately 12:30 p.m., Rodrigo Gomez was allegedly assaulted by incarcerated persons Raul Garcia Jr. and Francisco Ramirez Jr. in a dayroom within a housing unit. Staff quickly stopped the incident with verbal orders, immediately summoned facility medical assistance for Gomez, and activated 911.
Gomez was transported by ambulance to an outside medical facility. Despite extensive efforts by medical staff, Gomez succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at 2:24 p.m. by the Del Norte County Coroner. No staff or additional incarcerated individuals were injured.
An improvised weapon was recovered at the scene.
Garcia and Ramirez were placed in restricted housing pending investigation into this case by the PBSP Investigative Services Unit and the Del Norte County District Attorney’s Office. The Office of the Inspector General was notified, and the Del Norte County Coroner will determine Gomez’s official cause of death.
Gomez, 38, was received from Imperial County on Aug. 27, 2025, sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder and to four years for escape from a county jail or prison with force, to be served consecutive to the life with parole sentence.
Garcia, 37, was received from Los Angeles County on Sept. 5, 2008, sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder.
Ramirez, 42, was most recently received from Los Angeles County on Sept. 23, 2010, sentenced to life without parole for first-degree murder.
PBSP houses minimum, medium, high, and maximum-security male incarcerated persons. The institution opened in 1989 and is located on 275 acres on the North Coast of California, 13 miles from the Oregon/California Border, housing approximately 2,200 incarcerated people and employs 1,400 staff. PBSP offers academic classes, vocational programs, rehabilitative programs/groups, medical services, mental health services, religious services, work assignments, self-help groups, Peer Support Specialist Program, and many other programs.
Source & photos: CDCR
