Inmate from Monterey County dies at Pelican Bay State Prison in apparent homicide, officials say

By Tim Fang

State correctional officials said an inmate at Pelican Bay State Prison from Monterey County died Monday in an apparent homicide.

According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 33-year-old Gabriel Otero was found unresponsive by prison staff around 2 p.m. Staff performed life-saving measures and 911 was called.

Otero was pronounced deceased by the Del Norte County coroner around 3 p.m. Additional details about the incident were not immediately available.

Officials said Otero was sentenced in 2021 to 35 years in prison in connection with an armed robbery in Monterey County in 2018. Otero was convicted of second-degree robbery as a second striker, with sentencing enhancements for violating the street gang act, use of a firearm and a prior felony conviction of a serious offense.

Staff placed Otero’s cellmate in restricted housing pending an investigation by the prison’s Investigative Services Unit and the Del Norte District Attorney’s Office. The cellmate’s name has not been released.

Officials said the system’s Office of Inspector General has been notified.

Located on the Northern California coast near the Oregon border, Pelican Bay houses nearly 1,700 male inmates.