2 inmates hospitalized after stabbing in prison near Las Vegas | Stabbings

Two inmates at High Desert State Prison were hospitalized Wednesday following a stabbing incident at the facility, a Nevada Department of Corrections spokesman said.

Although department spokeswoman Teri Vance declined to provide further details, she said in an email Wednesday evening that the death of High Desert inmate Jose Cruz, announced in a news release earlier in the day, was unrelated. Cruz was pronounced dead Monday, the news release said.

According to the press release, Cruz, 26, was serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole for second-degree murder. The press release did not provide any further details about Cruz's death.

The news comes after the department moved nearly 2,000 inmates between High Desert and Ely State Prison earlier this month. High Desert was downgraded to a maximum security prison and Ely was downgraded from a maximum security facility to a medium security facility. In July, three people were killed in a brawl at Ely State Prison.

The High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs is located a few dozen miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Contact Akiya Dillon at [email protected].