Anthony Russo, 52, was found dead inside his Arrowbear Lake home Friday, the San Bernardino County Coroner’s office confirmed.

The coroner’s office did not immediately respond to questions about who found him or the nature of the suicide.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said it had no details to provide since the case was outside its jurisdiction.

The department did “extend our condolences to the family and friends affected by this tragic loss.”

Russo had been out on $50,000 bail after having been arrested Dec. 11 at Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, where he was assigned at the time of the criminal investigation.

He was arrested by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Special Investigations Bureau after the agency received a tip, according to the sheriff’s department.

Russo believed he was communicating electronically with a 15-year-old with whom he shared sexually explicit material and asked to meet up for sex, according to the sheriff’s department. The person he contacted was instead an undercover investigator.

Russo was booked on two felony counts. He was eventually charged by the Riverside County District Attorney’s office with one felony count of knowingly distributing harmful material.

Russo was scheduled to be back in court on Jan. 24.

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File# S233160027

Details:

On November 12, 2023, at about 2:15 p.m., deputies from the Palm Desert Sheriff Station responded to a report of an attempt suicide at a residence on Lyon Steet, in the city of Rancho Mirage. Deputies arrived within minutes and located a male and a female with gunshot wounds. The male victim succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The female victim was transported to a local hospital and succumbed to her injuries. Deputies secured the area as a crime scene and investigators from the Palm Desert Sheriff Station responded. The Central Homicide Unit also responded and assumed the investigation.

The identity of those involved will not be released, pending next of kin notification. This case is being investigated as a murder/suicide. There are no outstanding suspects and there is no threat to the community. The investigation is currently on-going and no further information will be released at this time. If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to call Master Investigator Navarrete with the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777 or Investigator Evans at the Palm Desert Sheriff Station at 760-836-1600.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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Health care workers, including registered nurses, health technicians, and health care support workers, are at increased risk of suicide compared with workers in other fields, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Until now little was known about suicide risks of the approximately 95 percent of health care workers who are not physicians. The findings are published in JAMA.(link is external and opens in a new window)

“Our results extend earlier research from outside the United States that health care workers compared with non-healthcare workers have greater risks for mental health problems and long-term work absences due to mental disorders,” said Mark Olfson, MD, MPH, professor of Epidemiology at Columbia Public Health and professor of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. “The importance of increased suicide risk of health care support workers is underscored by their growth from nearly 4 million in 2008 to 6.6 million in 2021.”

To estimate death by suicide rates among U.S. health care workers, the researchers evaluated a nationally representative cohort from the 2008 American Community Survey including 1,842 000 workers who were observed through 2019. Olfson used modeling techniques to compare rates of suicide for health care workers to other employed adults accounting for differences in their background characteristics. Participants 26 years of age and older were studied.

Suicide rates were estimated for six health care worker groups—physicians, registered nurses,other health care–diagnosing or treating practitioners, health technicians, health care support workers, and social/behavioral health workers, as well as non–health care workers. 

The analysis showed suicide rates per 100,000 person-years of 21 for health care support workers, 16 for registered nurses, 16 for health technicians, 13 for physicians, 10 for social/behavioral health workers, 8 for other health care–diagnosing or treating practitioners, versus 13 for non–health care workers. 

A recent paper by Olfson published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that registered nurses, social workers and other behavioral health workers, as well as those in health care support are at significantly greater risk for drug overdose death compared to non-health care workers.

The new report also found that health care work overall is more strongly associated with suicide risk among female than male workers. This finding raises the possibility that gender differences in health care work roles, job satisfaction, and occupational stress may contribute to the proportionately greater risks of suicide faced by female than male healthcare workers than non-health care workers.

Co-authors are Candace M. Cosgrove, U.S. Census Bureau; Melanie M. Wall, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health; and Carlos Blanco, National Institute on Drug Abuse. 

The study was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and National Institute on Aging interagency agreements with the U.S. Census Bureau.

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By Aura Bogado

In its first three months in power, the Biden Administration recorded hundreds of incidents when migrant children in the custody of the federal refugee agency expressed past or present thoughts of suicide. Some of those children also attempted to end their lives. 

Putting an exact number to this tragic reality took years. 

Over the years, family and community members, attorneys, and advocates had warned that migrant children confined in the federal government’s vast shelter system were thinking about ending their lives, or attempting to do so. In 2019, I filed a Freedom of Information Act request to the federal government, hoping that records archived by the Office of Refugee Resettlement would shed light on what was happening behind closed doors. 

While the request was acknowledged, and we communicated about narrowing my request, the government didn’t produce records. The following year, in 2020, The Center for Investigative Reporting filed suit — not only for these records, but for four other federal information requests I’d previously requested. 

As part of a long settlement process, the refugee agency initially produced summary data: for the period between 2014 and 2019, more than 7,000 migrant children experienced suicidal episodes in federal custody. But those records were stripped of basic facts, like dates when the incident occurred and, just as importantly, they didn’t include narratives about the incidents. Without that information, it was impossible to provide a clear picture to the public of what took place. 

We asked the government to produce those details, but it claimed doing so would take years. In 2021, as the settlement discussion dragged on, we agreed to accept records about suicidal episodes concerning migrant children during the first three months of the Biden administration. Ultimately, we received eight data sets for a total of 666 records; each record contained 61 columns that included the child’s age, country of origin, and placement location, along with five columns detailing the incident that had occurred. 

It took weeks to clean the data. I had to read each of the narratives to ensure they really reflected suicidal episodes, and remove those that didn’t. Others were removed because they were duplicates – but they were difficult to identify quickly because they contained small differences, like one punctuation mark. The work was done by carefully combing every entry, one by one, and it unveiled a rich data set that helped me see where, when and under what circumstances these migrant children were most at-risk of suicidal thoughts. 

Once clean, the data indicated that between January 20 and April 28, 2021:

• Migrant children reported suicidal episodes 567 times while in refugee agency custody. The reports were daily occurrences, with as many as six children expressing these feelings or taking these actions per day. 
• One in every four children who reported suicidal episodes were referring to incidents that occurred before arriving into custody, indicating that migrant children often experienced significant trauma before arriving to the United States.
• The average length of stay for the 140 children who experienced suicidal episodes while in federal custody was an average of 37 days; that showed that, on average, thoughts of suicide developed after weeks away from family. 
• Licensed programs were more likely to deal with the incident on-site. Children in unlicensed emergency shelters, meanwhile, were 20 times more likely to be treated by outside emergency rooms and psychiatric centers. 

But the numbers alone don’t really speak for themselves: The narratives contained in the records provided harrowing details behind the suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. Over and over again, children reported that the strain of being away from their families and communities was taking a severe toll on their mental health, to the point that they were thinking about or attempting to end their lives, and ten children did attempt to do so.

Before the pandemic, I would often spend a considerable amount of time with migrant families whose children had suffered in refugee agency custody: children who’d been forcibly drugged, placed in empty office buildings, or separated from their families for half-a-dozen years. 

During the pandemic, it’s been impossible for me to make those in-person connections. Early on, I didn’t want to talk to a child or to their family about a time when they tried to end their life by phone or video-call. I drew a line – not only out of a desire to protect children who’d already experienced incredible trauma but also to protect my own mental health. 

What I didn’t anticipate was the way the narratives, just words on a screen or paper I’d print out, would deeply affect me. Some records contained extremely short descriptions — one incident simply described that the child “commented he wanted to leave and wanted to kill himself to get out of shelter,” but didn’t capture the reasons why. The only other note in the record states that he was observed at the in-house clinic. Other descriptions were far more detailed, containing up to 3,000 words in one record to describe the situation in sometimes graphic detail. 

For weeks, I spent days reading about horrific cases of sexual abuse, torture, and death. A full night’s sleep was sometimes hard to come by — and even when I did sleep well, every new morning meant returning to the same records on the same screen. 

Part of what haunted me was the impossibility of capturing every narrative in one story. I began tracking some of the most compelling narratives – a pregnant 16-year-old, a 9-year-old who was isolated due to COVID, a 14-year-old who was ripping her hair out — to help produce graphics that readers could swipe through. Creating a space for some of the nearly 600 suicidal episodes was a relief. 

U.S. immigration policy, which continues to favor visitors from white-majority countries and regions, results in the separation of families. Migrant children, particularly those from Central America, will continue to arrive alone at the border, seeking asylum and reunification with a family member already in the U.S. According to the records I’ve amassed, more than 400,000 have been through the refugee system in the last decade. That number will continue to grow. 

There are hundreds of thousands of records and stories about what happens to these children. Knowing what records to seek, fighting to make sure those records are released, and having a grip on the context is the very least I can do to help the public understand what’s happening to some of the most vulnerable children on the planet.

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File # MV222310122

Details:

On August 19, 2022, about 11:20 a.m., deputies from the Moreno Valley Station responded to a Check the Welfare call in the 25000 block of Billie Dr., Moreno Valley, at the request of a family member. Upon arrival, deputies received no answer at the door and made entry into the residence. While inside, deputies found a deceased female adult with significant trauma and also heard a single gunshot from a different room. The deputies immediately exited the residence and established a perimeter around the home.

The Special Enforcement Bureau-Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and the Hazardous Device Team (HDT) responded and attempted to get any occupants of the residence to exit. After receiving no response, resources were deployed and a deceased male adult with a gunshot wound was found inside. The residence was cleared with no additional subjects found inside. The Central Homicide Unit was requested and assumed the investigation.

This incident will be investigated as a Murder-Suicide and the victim and suspect’s identity will not yet be released, pending next of kin notification. This investigation is currently on-going and no further information will be released at this time. If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to call Investigator Mendoza of the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777 or Investigator Fernandez of the Moreno Valley Station at 951-486-6700.

Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s Homicide Tipline online form.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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File # LA221950034

Details:

On July 14, 2022, La Quinta deputies responded to the La Quinta Senior Living facility to investigate a report of a missing married couple. Michael Herbst, an 87-year old male and Lisa Herbst, an 87-year old female, had not returned to the facility the night before. Deputies located the couple deceased in their vehicle, suffering from gunshot wounds, at the dead end of Coyote Song Way, in the county area of Palm Desert. Investigators from the Central Homicide Unit were notified and determined a murder suicide had occurred. This is an active investigation and anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Investigator Gonzalez of the Central Homicide Unit at (951) 955-2777.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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Those interested are encouraged to submit their detailed concept papers via  missiondaybreak.net to VA no later than July 8, 2022. 

The effort supports the goals of President Biden’s Unity Agenda and aligns with the priority goals and implementation principles of the White House strategy on reducing military and Veteran suicide.

“To end Veteran suicide, we need to use every tool available,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “In the most recent National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report more than 45,000 American adults died by suicide — including 6,261 Veterans. That’s why Mission Daybreak is fostering solutions across a broad spectrum of focus areas to combat this preventable problem.”

Proposed solutions for Mission Daybreak should seek to address one or more of the designated challenge focus areas outlined in the Mission Daybreak webpage.

During Phase 1 all challenge participants will have access to a collection of open data, surveys, and reports on Veteran suicide prevention as they prepare their concept papers. Innovators and collaborators are also invited to join the Mission Daybreak solver community, which helps solvers expand and augment their teams with interdisciplinary expertise.

To learn more and hear from experts, solvers are encouraged to register for the upcoming virtual information session and topical webinars. Forty teams will receive awards ranging from $100,000 to $3 million which will be distributed across two phases.

Visit missiondaybreak.net for more information on the challenge.

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VA published a notice in the Federal Register Jan. 5, to solicit public feedback to guide implementation of the new VA program modifying copayments for Veterans at risk of suicide. 

“Research shows increased frequency of outpatient mental health encounters for high-risk Veterans reduces their risk of suicide,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “Through these efforts, VA will continue to address this national public health crisis by further eliminating financial burdens on Veterans which may negatively influence their engagement in mental health treatment and their critical medication availability.”

Currently, there is no exemption from outpatient care copayments for Veterans who are at risk for suicide, and such Veterans have to pay a $15.00 or $50.00 copayment for each outpatient visit, depending on whether the visit qualifies as primary care or specialty care.

In addition, to decrease the risk of overdose on prescribed medications, prescription-based lethal means safety programs often focus on limiting the supply of medications that may, intentionally or unintentionally, contribute to an overdose. An example of this would be to prescribe a seven-day supply of medication with four refills rather than a prescribing one 30-day supply of the medication.

This proposed rule would reduce the financial burden of multiple co-payments associated with both increased outpatient visits as well as more frequent, but limited supply of prescribed medications.

The public notice requests feedback at the Federal Register. The public comment period ends March 7.

More information on lethal means safety and safe medication storage can be found at Firearm Suicide Prevention & Lethal Means Safety – REACH (va.gov). 

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Deputies arrived at the residence and were able to gain entry where they located a deceased female adult with traumatic injuries. Deputies continued searching the residence and located a deceased male adult with what appeared to be self-inflicted injuries. Deputies secured the residence and began an investigation.

Investigators from the Cabazon Station and the Central Homicide Unit responded and assumed the investigation. The investigation thus far appears to be a murder-suicide and no suspects are being sought. The identity of the decedents are not being released at this time, pending notification to the family.

No other details are currently available. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Central Homicide Unit Investigator Gilbert at (951) 955-2777.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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When a heart attack patient is rushed to the hospital, they rarely have trouble securing a cardiologist, operating table and hospital bed. But patients experiencing mental crises have no such assurances. When they are rushed to the hospital, they sometimes wait for days for a psychiatric bed to open up. They struggle to get their insurance to pay for short-term and long-term care. Even when insurance is willing, they struggle to find psychiatrists and therapists willing to take that payment. Those who can afford it often end up paying out of pocket.

The disparity in America between those who suffer from physical ailments and mental ones is a yawning chasm. And it is only getting worse. In the past year amid the pandemic, the country has seen all-time highs in depression and anxiety. The number of American youth struggling with suicidal ideation and entering ERs in mental crisis have reached staggering heights.

As a health reporter for the Washington Post, I’ve written stories on the personal experiences and struggles of mental health patients seeking help. But when it comes to reporting on mental health the coverage — including my own stories — has so often been confined to anecdotal and sporadic reports. For years, I’ve been haunted by the staggering scope of the problem and the how little substantive attention or action it has received. In the coming year, I plan to unearth data from state regulators, hospital systems and lawsuits that illuminate systemic failures of our mental health care system. And I hope to focus especially on America’s rapidly worsening epidemic of suicide.

The data I am targeting will shed light on areas where the system is especially failing — in hospitals, jails, schools.

Even as suicide rates have fallen globally, they have increased 35% in the United States in the past two decades. Despite that alarming statistic, funding and prevention efforts for suicide lag far behind those for all other leading causes of death.

Hospitals, for example, are now overwhelmed by teens in mental crises. From March to October last year, the proportion of children coming to ERs with mental problems grew by almost 25% compared to the same period in 2019. Increasingly those children are being met with chronic shortages in beds, doctors and problematic wait times.

For years, the availability of psychiatric beds has been dwindling in hospitals. According to a 2016 report by the Treatment Advocacy Center, there are now roughly 11.7 psychiatric beds per 100,000 people in America, compared to 16.8 beds in 2005. And there are racial disparities to this problem as well. Studies show Hispanic children in mental crises are more than three times more likely to experience wait problems in ERs.

Another especially glaring problem area within the crisis of American suicides is prison and jails, where deaths are growing at an even higher rate than in the general population. From 2001 to 2018, suicides in state and federal prisons increased 85%. In local jails, it is now the single leading cause of death. People in jail are more than three times as likely to die from suicide as someone on the outside. 

Many experts believe staffing shortages and degrading conditions amid the pandemic will only further worsen the problem. Despite this, health care in many prisons and jails is only worsening.

My vision for this project for the 2021 Data Fellowship is to combine the power of patients’ personal experiences with novel accountability and data reporting. My hope is such stories will not only to illuminate the problem, but to move readers and policy makers to action.

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