A Suwannee County Grand Jury indicted a former Suwannee Correctional Institution inmate Friday for murder in the first degree for the beating and strangulation death of his cellmate in March, Third Circuit State Attorney Robert L. “Skip” Jarvis Jr. said.

Antonio Rosales, 44, has since been transferred to Florida State Prison in Raiford under close supervision, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.

Jarvis said he intends to seek the death penalty for Rosales who on March 23 beat, stomped and strangled 63-year-old Andres Islas to death in their prison cell.

“He killed his cellmate in such a savage and brutal manner that the victim was unable to be recognized by the nurse who had seen him just days earlier,” Jarvis said. “Rosales has proven himself incapable of coexisting with others, even in the prison system. After giving the facts of this case full consideration and considering that although they are also currently serving sentences for their criminal violations, other inmates have the right to be protected from such violence while serving their sentence. I am of the opinion that this case warrants the seeking of the death penalty.”

Jarvis said that not seeking the death penalty would jeopardize the safety of other inmates and officers “at the hand of Rosales who would have no incentive to curb his violent and deadly behavior.”

At the time of the murder, Rosales was serving a life sentence for kidnapping, attempted felony murder and sexual battery on a victim under 12, all offenses from Seminole County originating in 2003, according to the DOC.

Islas was sentenced in 1996 and was serving more than 40 years for armed robbery, grand theft, drug possession and aggravated assault, among others.