Brawley inmate serving life sentence dies following alleged assault

CRESCENT CITY, Calif. (KYMA) - A Brawley man serving a life sentence for murdering his wife was killed in prison.

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials are investigating the death of 39-year old Rodrigo Flores Gomez.

They say he was allegedly assaulted by two inmates last Sunday in a dayroom within the housing unit. Gomez was taken to an outside medical facility, but he died that afternoon.

The two inmates were placed in restricted housing pending the investigation into this case.

An improvised weapon was recovered at the scene.

Gomez was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2024 for strangling and killing his wife 36-year-old Sandy Fabela in Brawley.