Richard J. Donovan Officials Investigating the Death of an Incarcerated Person as a Homicide

SAN DIEGO - California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are investigating the Aug. 21, 2025, death of an incarcerated person at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) as a homicide.

On Aug 16, 2025, at approximately 6:15 a.m., staff responded to a cell fight between Jerry Elliott and Aikane Matias. When staff arrived, they found Elliott unresponsive in the cell. Officers immediately restrained Matias and removed him from the cell, initiated life-saving measures on Elliott and activated 911. Elliott was transported to an outside medical facility, where he was later pronounced deceased by a doctor on Aug. 21 at approximately 4:25 a.m.

No staff or additional incarcerated people were injured. No weapon was used in the incident.

Matias remains in restricted housing pending investigation into this case. Officials have limited population movement to facilitate the investigation being conducted by RJD Investigative Services Unit and the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. The Office of the Inspector General was notified, and the San Diego County Coroner will determine Elliott's official cause of death.

Elliott, 43, was most recently received from Riverside County on July 25, 2024. He was sentenced to 34 years for evading a peace officer causing death, second striker, with enhancements of being armed with a firearm and inflicting great bodily injury. He was also sentenced for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, second striker, and buying or receiving a stolen vehicle, second striker. Additionally he was sentenced to five years, four months for possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm, carrying a loaded firearm in public with a prior felony conviction, evading or attempting to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly, possessing or owning a firearm by a felon or addict, and possession of ammunition by prohibited person, to be served concurrently.

Matias, 32, was most recently received from Fresno County on Nov. 26, 2024. He was sentenced to eight years for first-degree burglary, second striker.