San Diego
An unidentified man who was spotted breaking into a vending machine drowned in the San Diego River Wednesday while fleeing from police, police said.
The man, whose identity had not been determined by late Wednesday, was seen at 1:28 a.m. by a security guard breaking into a vending machine at an apartment complex in the 5300 block of Mission Center Road, San Diego police spokesman Dave Cohen said. He said the guard and nearby police chased the man to the river bank and watched him go into the water.
When the man appeared to be in trouble, two officers jumped into the water but were unable to locate him, Cohen said.
After a 20-minute search, with light provided by a Coast Guard helicopter, authorities found the man’s body in 12 feet of water.
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