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Man Dies After Jumping From Overpass, Made Ten Similar Attempts
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41-year-old Francisco Solomon Sanchez, the Duarte man who committed suicide by jumping from a 210 Freeway overpass on Friday, made more than ten similar attempts in the past decade, according to the Pasadena Star-News.
Sanchez was pronounced dead shortly after 4:15 p.m. Friday after leaping from a 210 Freeway overpass between Mountain Avenue and Buena Vista Street, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Joe Bale said. An autopsy ruled the cause of death a suicide, he said. Sanchez was struck by at least one vehicle after leaping into rush-hour traffic, sheriff's officials said.
Sanchez threatened to jump, and in some cases actually jumped, from overpasses and "other high places" around Duarte numerous times. Sanchez had two prosthetic legs after suffering two broken ankles following a jump from the same overpass in 2003.
Held for "brief psychiatric evaluation" after his previous suicide attempts, law enforcement and mental health officials "have said their capabilities to intervene are limited."
Suicidal individuals are often held for 72-hour psychiatric evaluations, and in some cases up to two weeks. Theoretically, patients could be held for longer if they pose an imminent threat to themselves or others, but experts have said such a measure is extremely rare.
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