Nevada prisoner killed, cellmate detained
A Nevada Department of Corrections inmate was killed Sunday, and his cellmate was arrested.
Isaiah Sharp, 21, was pronounced dead around 7 p.m. after he was found lying in his cell in High Desert State Prison, according to a statement Tuesday from the department.
Sharp was serving a maximum of 11 years on a charge of robbery with a deadly weapon out of Washoe County, according to his inmate record.
Sharp’s cellmate, Andrew Hilford, 33, was detained in connection with the death, corrections officials said.
An online fundraiser organized by Sharp’s family called him a loving man who was preparing to start a new life with his partner and her daughter.
“He loved his family with every ounce of his being, but may have traded any of us in for a sweet pair of shoes,” the page read. “We will always remember the sweet little boy that he was and the caring responsible man he was becoming.”
Hilford had been serving time for a murder and robbery conviction. Police said he and a friend were driving near the Strip in December 2006 when Hilford decided to use a shotgun to rob a man they saw walking by, later identified as Ernest Perez, according to court documents.
The friend told police that Hilford got into a struggle with Perez and shot him in the stomach before stealing the cash from Perez’s wallet and running away, according to an arrest report from the Metropolitan Police Department. Hilford later told police he stole the shotgun by cutting the roof off a car parked at the Wynn Las Vegas.
Officials continue to investigate Sharp’s death. His cause and manner of death will be released by the Clark County coroner’s office.
Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.
