Former Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy dies by suicide after arrest on suspicion of sending harmful matter to a minor
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy who resigned after being arrested on suspicion of sending harmful matter to a minor and soliciting sex from a minor killed himself on Friday, Dec. 20.
The San Bernardino County Coroner's Death Register cites that Anthony Michael Russo, 52, died by suicide at his home in Running Springs.
Russo, formerly assigned to the Coordinated Custody Management Unit within the Corrections Division, was arrested on December 11. The Sheriff’s Special Investigations Bureau received a tip the day before the arrest that Russo was committing possible crimes. An investigator posing as a 15-year-old minor communicated electronically with Russo, who shared explicit material and the intent to meet with the minor for sexual acts. The Sheriff's Office noted that Russo resigned after his arrest.
In a statement sent to KESQ, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office said, "We extend our condolences to the family and friends affected by this tragic loss."
