By Jorge Casuso
January 11, 2021 -- A man jumped to his death from a Santa Monica Place parking structure early Monday morning, marking the city's first public suicide this year and the 14th over the past two years.
Police and fire personnel responding to the scene shortly before 4:30 a.m. found the injured jumper and "immediately began life-saving treatment" before pronouncing the man dead, said Lt. Rudy Flores.
"There were no signs of foul-play," Flores said. "Police did recover some personal property at the top of the structure."
Witnesses told police they saw the man, who was around 30 years old, jump from the top level of Parking Structure 7, on the 1500 block of 4th Street.
The man does not appear to be from Santa Monica, Flores said. It is not clear whether he was homeless.
Police shut down 4th Street for several hours and re-routed traffic, Flores said. "The Coroner eventually arrived and removed the decedent."
Monday's incident marks the sixth fatal jump from the top of a Downtown public parking structure.
It comes less than four months after a man jumped to his death from the third floor of the mall onto the central courtyard.
There were five public suicides in Santa Monica last year and eight in 2018, according to data provided by the coroner's office.
Suicides have been increasing nationwide over the past several years and accounted for 47,511 deaths in 2019, making it the 10th leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Whites have the highest suicide rate, with around 19 per 100,000 nationwide, according to data released by the CDC in 2017.
That compares with 7.1 for both Hispanics and Asians/Pacific Islanders and 6.6 percent for Blacks.
Anyone with information about Monday's incident should call the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-458-8495.
Anyone experiencing thoughts of suicide should contact the Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or text “Home” to 741741, for immediate assistance 24 hours a day.