Orange County

5 Orange County Deputies on Leave Following Inmate's Death

The inmate was sharing a cell with an accused double-murderer

Authorities say five deputies are on paid leave and two investigations are under way following the killing of an inmate at a Southern California jail.

Sheriff's officials say Danny Pham died this month at Orange County's Central Jail Complex. The 27-year-old was serving 180 days for car theft.

The Orange County Register reports Pham was sharing a cell with an accused double-murderer.

The district attorney's office is conducting a homicide investigation. Meanwhile the sheriff's department is separately looking into whether deputies followed procedures.

The newspaper says investigators are looking into, among other things, suspicions that deputies did not check Pham's cell in a timely manner.

Both agencies declined comment on Friday.

Authorities have not released Pham's cause of death or said if his cellmate is a suspect.

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