Asia-Pacific News
US Navy officer jumps to death after cocaine arrest in Manila
Dec 27, 2010, 7:47 GMT
Manila - A 35-year-old US Navy officer jumped to his death on Monday in the Philippines after he was arrested at an airport for allegedly carrying cocaine, police said.
Lieutenant Commander Scintar Mejia was about to board a flight to Los Angeles from Manila on Sunday when a pack of cocaine was found in his luggage.
Mejia became unruly after the discovery and even accused officials at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport of a frame-up, according to police Senior Superintendent Manuel Pintado.
Pintado, deputy director of the airport police, said the suspect was detained overnight at the airport and committed suicide after seeking permission to go to the bathroom on Monday morning.
'On the way to the toilet, he suddenly ran from his escorts and jumped head first into a 10-feet stairway,' Pintado said. 'He died while being treated in a nearby hospital.'
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