Paradise Man Drives Off Cliff, Killing Himself Before Child Sex Abuse Trial
BUTTE COUNTY (CBS13) – A man who was scheduled for a court date on charges of sexually abusing a child apparently took his own life by driving off a Butte County cliff.
The Mendocino County District Attorney's office says 51-year-old Paradise resident Aaron Douglas Burrows was scheduled to start his trial on Monday morning. He was facing felony charges of sexually abusing a 9-year-old.
Burrows never showed up to the court date, however.
As the district attorney's office soon learned, Burrows had committed suicide sometime between Sunday night and early Monday morning.
Firefighters along with BCSO are at scene of a vehicle over the edge just east of Lookout point. #SkywayRescue. Personnel are trying to make access to asses the vehicle to see of there are occupants. pic.twitter.com/Sktwaa2qmV
— CAL FIRE Butte Unit/Butte County Fire Department (@CALFIRE_ButteCo) March 25, 2019
Burrows' car had apparently been driven over the edge just east of Lookout Point, near Paradise. He was found dead inside by crews from Cal Fire's Butte Unit on Monday morning.
If Burrows had been convicted in the case, the DA's office says he was facing a mandatory 15 years to life in state prison sentence.