Citrus Heights police officers could be seen at Madera Park, following an apparent suicide Friday morning. A Sacramento County Coroner’s van can be seen in the background. // CH Sentinel
Sentinel staff report– The Citrus Heights Police Department and the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office were dispatched Friday morning to Madera Park after a body was found hanging from a tree.
Lt. Jason Baldwin told The Sentinel that a call was received around 7:10 a.m. Friday, with responding officers locating a deceased male in the neighborhood park.
Baldwin said it appeared the approximately 40-year-old man committed suicide. An investigation is still ongoing, but police have found no signs of “any foul play involved.”
The identity of the man is being withheld, pending notification of next of kin.
“We’re stunned by this turn of events,” the lieutenant said. “We would encourage people who are having thoughts of suicide to contact a suicide hotline or to contact our (9-1-1) dispatch, who are trained to help people in crisis.”
Baldwin said dispatchers can also facilitate contact with the area’s chaplaincy team, if requested.
Anyone considering suicide is urged to reach out for help. A local Suicide Prevention Hotline, operated by WellSpace Health, can be reached at (916) 368-3111. The group says its hotline is also available for those concerned about friends or loved ones who may be suicidal.
According to various suicide prevention resources, warning indicators of suicide can include talking about feeling hopeless, having no reason to live, and other behavior or mood signs.
Police said an 85-year-old woman committed suicide on Feb. 8 outside the Citrus Heights Walgreens pictured, at Greenback Lane and Dewey Drive. // CH Sentinel
Updated Feb. 9, 3:13 p.m.–
Citrus Heights police said an 85-year-old woman committed suicide in front of a Walgreens store on Greenback Lane Monday afternoon, after officers found her with three “self-inflicted” gunshot wounds to her chest.
Sgt. Jason Baldwin said officers responded to a call shortly after 12 p.m. regarding the well-being of an elderly woman seated in front of Walgreens, at the corner of Greenback Lane and Dewey Drive. After starting medical, Baldwin said officers shortly discovered a firearm “around the area of her leg,” and three small-caliber gunshot wounds to her chest.
The woman, later identified by the Sacramento County Coroner’s office as Mary Mosier of Citrus Heights, was described by Baldwin as “semi-responsive” when officers arrived. She was then transported to a hospital and pronounced deceased.
Baldwin said a two-hour investigation was conducted on scene following the incident, in order to rule out any possibilities of “foul play” or murder.
“After a complete investigation of the incident, it was concluded that it was a suicide,” Sgt. Baldwin told The Sentinel by phone Tuesday morning. “No foul play is suspected.”
Asked to confirm if gunshots were fired outside Walgreens, Baldwin said “from what we gather, yes, that is where she committed suicide. It appears this was a planned suicide by her.”
Citrus Heights police are also investigating another death on Monday as a possible suicide, where a 46-year-old woman was found dead in an apartment on the 12000 block of Fair Oaks Boulevard around 12:05 a.m. on Feb. 8.
Sgt. Baldwin said both deaths are isolated and "unfortunate." He said police are still investigating the death on Fair Oaks Boulevard and was not able to confirm it was a suicide.
[See story: Investigation: woman shot, killed at Citrus Heights apartment]
Baldwin said anyone experiencing great depression or suicidal thoughts can contact the Citrus Heights Police Department to be connected with a variety of resources. "We just like people to know that hope is not lost, and they can always reach out to us."
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According to suicide prevention resources, warning indicators of suicide can include talking about feeling hopeless, having no reason to live, and other behavior or mood signs.
A local Suicide Prevention Hotline, operated by WellSpace Health, can be reached at (916) 368-3111. The group says its hotline is also available for those concerned about friends or loved ones who may be suicidal.
Update: Police later confirmed in a news release issued Tuesday afternoon that a suicide note had been located for the 85-year-old woman. The news release also confirmed that the 46-year-old's death on Fair Oaks Boulevard involved a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
