Police Investigating Death at State Prison

(CUMBERLAND, MD) – Maryland State Police are investigating the death of an inmate at the North Branch Correctional Institution in Allegany County.

The inmate is identified as Elias Alvarado, 30. Alvarado was declared deceased on July 18 by emergency medical service personnel.

A suspect, also an inmate, has been identified. He has not been charged at this time and is not being identified pending further investigation.

On Friday, July 18, the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit was contacted by investigators from the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Internal Investigative Unit (DPSCS IID) about an inmate death. The preliminary investigation indicates Alvarado was standing in a hallway on the tier he lived on with another inmate prior to being found lying on the ground and unresponsive by officers at the North Branch Correctional Institution.

Maryland State Police investigators along with crime scene technicians from the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division responded to the scene.

Upon completion, the investigation will be presented to the State’s Attorney’s Office in Allegany County for review. The investigation is active and ongoing.

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