A man charged with child sexual abuse and child pornography allegedly faked his own suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge. Authorities found him in Florida 3 years later.
- A man who authorities say faked his own suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge has been arrested in Florida three years later.
- Michael Patrick Manning, 58, allegedly fled child sexual abuse and child pornography charges before his sentencing hearing in 2016.
- Manning was found in a trailer in Key West, Florida, on May 3, 2019 and arrested. He'll be extradited back to California, authorities said.
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A man who authorities believe once faked his own suicide at San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge has turned up in Florida three years later — and has been arrested on criminal charges he allegedly fled.
Michael Patrick Manning, 58, was originally arrested in 2015 by the Chico Police Department in California on charges of sexually abusing a child and possessing 600 images of child pornography. He pleaded no contest and was released on bail.
But in September 2016, when Manning was scheduled to be sentenced, he failed to appear in court, Chico police said. Instead, a rental car leased to Manning was found near the Golden Gate Bridge with a suicide note inside. His body was never located.
But authorities began monitoring "the behavior and patterns" of one of Manning's associates, and saw "what appeared to be sophisticated countersurveillance measures." Authorities eventually searched throughout seven California cities, requesting assistance from the US Marshals and the FBI.
"Investigators believed that on multiple occasions they had narrowly missed apprehending Manning," the Chico Police Department said in a statement.
Authorities finally caught a break on May 3, 2019, when deputies from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office in Key West, Florida, responded to a burglary alarm.
The deputies found Manning in an unlocked trailer, according to a statement from the sheriff's office. Manning allegedly identified himself to the officers as "William Wallace Littlejohn," but the ID and passport he provided under that name appeared "forged or fake," and a fingerprint analysis determined that Littlejohn was actually Manning.
Manning is now charged with giving authorities a false name and identification, and the Chico Police Department said he'll be extradited back to California.
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