Los Angeles man on California Death Row for killing a cop found dead in his cell
A 35-year-old man on California's Death Row was found dead in his prison cell at San Quentin State Prison, according to officials. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said that Miguel Angel Magallon, who was sentenced to death for killing an off-duty police officer, was found unresponsive in his cell on Saturday morning.
He was pronounced dead half an hour later after emergency life-saving procedures failed to revive him.
The cause of the 35-year-old's death is yet to be ascertained, and an autopsy is set to be conducted to determine how Magallon died, reports state.
Magallon was apprehended at the age of 20 when he was a gang member in 2004. He killed Captain Michael Sparkes of the Los Angeles County Office of Public Safety, who was on a bike. Magallon reportedly confronted the officer and then shot him with an AK-47, according to CBS SF.
The officer managed to shoot Magallon with his handgun and was able to call 911 on his cellphone. Magallon was apprehended after he and his accomplice drove back to the scene to fire on the officer again. The 30-year-old officer was survived by his wife, stepdaughter and seven-year-old son.
Governor Gavin Newsom, last month, signed a moratorium on executions in the state, citing racial disparities in the 736 inmates on Death Row. Magallon, since October 26, 2009, had been on California's Death Row.
Reports state that California, since 2006, has not executed anyone because of legal challenges to its lethal injection method.
Ever since capital punishment was reinstated in the state in 1978, a total of 13 inmates have been executed, 79 have died of natural causes, while 26 of the inmates committed suicide. Reports state that 11 other death row inmates died from other causes, while five, which includes Magallon, are pending a cause of death.