Man who jumped from 11th story of Syracuse building was sex offender, state says

6-21-17 New York:

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A parolee who police said jumped to his death from the 11th floor of an apartment building Tuesday was a sex offender who had been been convicted of sexually assaulting a girl.

The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision issued a statement Wednesday night identifying the parolee as Jason A. Jock.

Syracuse police said around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday officers were called to the Skyline Apartments at 753 James St. to investigate a suicide. Officers met with state parole officers who were already there.

Parole officers had taken Jock -- who lived at the building, according to state records -- into custody late Tuesday for a parole violation, police said.

NY jail inmate jumps to his death from 2nd floor

1-24-2012 New York:

LOCKPORT, N.Y. — The Niagara County Sheriff's Office says an inmate has died after jumping head-first from a second-floor landing at the jail.

The sheriff says the inmate was being moved from his cell by two guards at 6 a.m. Monday to be transported to state prison when he quickly climbed onto a railing and jumped.

The inmate's name wasn't released, pending notification of relatives. The sheriff says he was recently sentenced to 15 years in state prison for attempted rape and was to start that sentenced on Monday.

The incident is under investigation by the sheriff's office criminal division. ..Source.. by WSJ

Anchorage jail inmate killed in jump from upper level

1-4-2011 Alaska:

ANCHORAGE: Parole violator was picked up on New Year's Day.

An inmate climbed the railing of a walkway and jumped to his death inside the Anchorage jail over the weekend, corrections officials say.

It was the fifth time an inmate has committed suicide by jumping from heights inside an Alaska corrections building since the state began tracking the statistic in 1984, said Laura Brooks, director of behavioral health for the Corrections Department.

Ralph Kosbruk, 44, of Anchorage had been taken into custody at about 11 a.m. on New Year's Day for a parole violation, said Department of Corrections spokesman Richard Schmitz.

A few hours later, Kosbruk jumped from a second-tier balcony at Anchorage Correctional Center East, Schmitz said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, troopers say.

No foul play is suspected, according to troopers.

When new inmates arrive at a jail, they're asked if they feel suicidal or have a history of suicide attempts, Brooks said.

She wouldn't say how Kosbruk answered those questions, citing medical privacy laws.

But, she said, "I can tell you that if someone came in and made statements that raise any kind of suspicion, they would have been put on suicide watch for a minimum of 24 hours."

Kosbruk was not on suicide watch, she said.

A registered sex offender, he was convicted in 2005 of attempted sexual abuse of a minor, according to the state Department of Public Safety sex offender registry.

The state medical examiner's office has requested an autopsy, troopers said. Schmitz couldn't immediately say what Kosbruk did to violate parole.

The death is at least the second such incident in fewer than three years.

In October 2008, a 46-year-old man accused of setting his hotel room on fire died after diving from a second-story catwalk at the jail, troopers said at the time.

Inmates who are considered at risk for suicide are sometimes placed in an acute care psychiatric unit that -- unlike most housing units in Alaska jails -- has wire mesh on the upper tier that prevents people throwing things or jumping to the floor below, Brooks said. ..Source.. by KYLE HOPKINS

Man who died after Mall of America fall suspected of rape

3-26-2010 Minnesota:

The man who suffered a fatal fall Wednesday at Mall of America faced a third-degree rape charge, according to news reports.

The man was identified Thursday as Dakota Rey Kohler-Lander, 21, of Schenectady, N.Y.

Kohler-Lander was scheduled to be arraigned on the rape charge in New York State on Wednesday, but missed his court date, KSTP-News reported. He had been arrested in October on suspicion of having sex with a 16-year-old girl, the station said.

Bloomington police said Thursday that Kohler-Lander appeared to have been in town visiting someone.

About 7 p.m. Wednesday, security officers responded to a report by mall visitors that Kohler-Lander had a knife, police said. As security approached, he climbed a fourth-floor railing and either jumped or fell to the rotunda bellow.

Police said there were several witnesses to the incident.

Kohler-Lander died shortly after at the Hennepin County Medical center, police said.

The manner of his death is still under investigation. ..Source.. by Pioneer Press


Man who fell at Mall of America faced rape charge

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- A man who fell to his death in the Mall of America Rotunda was scheduled to face a rape charge in a New York court on the day of his death.

Authorities say 21-year-old Dakota Rey Kohler-Lander of Schenectady, N.Y., was on the fourth floor of the Mall of America Wednesday with a knife. When officers approached him, he climbed over a railing and fell to the ground floor. He died of blunt force injuries.

The Star Tribune reports Kohler-Lander was arrested last October and charged with rape for allegedly having consensual sex with a 16-year-old girl. Officials say he was indicted by an Albany County grand jury last week and was scheduled to appear in court, but didn't show.

Local news reports also say Kohler-Lander's twin 17-year-old brothers died in an all terrain vehicle crash in June.

Mall officials say officers attempted to perform CPR on Kohler-Lander. Officials say he was breathing and had a faint pulse when paramedics took him to HCMC. He died there a short time later.

Bloomington police say the Mall of America may have to look into taking greater security measures.

Officer Mike Stehlik says that the Hennepin County Medical Examiner is still trying to determine whether or not the fall of Kohler-Lander was intentional, or forced by another individual. Stehlik says despite steady traffic at the mall, there are surprisingly very few witnesses in this incident. ..Source.. by KARE11.com

CA- Molester jumps to his death

3-4-2008 California:

California - A 52-year-old man jumped to his death at a California courthouse hours after being convicted of child molestation, authorities said.

Carlos Edward Tello was facing more than 20 years in prison when he jumped from a ninth-floor balcony of the Central Justice Centre in Santa Ana on Tuesday. A suicide note was tucked into his clothing, authorities said.

A jury at a different courthouse, in the nearby town of Fullerton, had convicted Tello earlier in the day of repeatedly molesting a young girl between 1989 and 1994.

He was not immediately taken into custody after the verdict, but was ordered to return to the courthouse later on Tuesday.

Shortly before he was to return, an alarm sounded at the other courthouse, in Santa Ana, that someone had entered a restricted area, said Orange County Sheriff's spokesperson Jim Amormino.

A bailiff found Tello standing on the balcony and tried to wrestle him away from the edge, said police Cpl. Jose Gonzalez.

"He said, 'Nobody's stopping me,' and he jumped," Amormino said.

Tello was pronounced dead on the scene.

Deputy District Attorney Heather Brown had tried to have Tello's bail revoked and have him taken into custody immediately after the verdict was announced, but the judge declined to do so.

Brown said a suicide note was found on him when he was arrested in 2006 in the case and that he might be in danger. ..more.. by News24