Police: Man Contemplates Suicide from I-15 Freeway Bridge, Rescued by Murrieta Officer

A man who may have been attempting to commit suicide Wednesday by jumping from a Murrieta freeway bridge was brought to safety by a Murrieta police officer.

Murrieta police were notified by California Highway Patrol at about 12:28 p.m. that a man was standing on the railing of the Interstate 15 overpass at Los Alamos Road and appeared ready to jump, said Murrieta police Sgt. Jay Froboese.

A motorcycle officer responded to the bridge and found the man, described as a white male in his mid-30s, standing on the south side of the bridge, facing northbound traffic below him, according to the sergeant.

“When the motor officer showed up, (the man) was just standing there smoking a cigarette, standing on the railing, holding onto the fence with his left hand...just looking at traffic,” Froboese said.

The officer stopped his motorcycle in the eastbound lane of the overpass, and due to noise from traffic, was able to quietly approach the man from behind, placing handcuffs on him and bringing him to safety by 12:33 p.m.

“The guy did make some comments that his intent was to jump after he finished his cigarette,” Froboese said.

Murrieta police placed the man on a 72-hour medical evaluation hold, and he was transported via an American Medical Response ambulance to a county mental health facility in Riverside, according to Froboese.