Few Clues in Fatal Plunge From Bridge

It touched a nerve among county residents when a Moorpark mother and her 4-year-old son plunged to their deaths off the Moorpark Freeway bridge in early August.

But after more than a month of investigation, sheriff’s deputies have discovered no more clues and stopped actively probing the case--which they believe is either a suicide or an accident.

“It’s still open, but we’re not actively investigating it,” said Capt. Bill Montijo.

Jacqueline Bickmann and her autistic son, Garett, plunged 100 feet last month to their deaths off the bridge that connects the Ronald Reagan and Moorpark freeways. Bickmann had taken her son on a drive in their GMC Jimmy to help the child fall asleep. But one of the tires blew out and left the two stranded on the bridge.

While police have eliminated foul play, they could not determine how the deaths occurred.

No witnesses have come forward, but police have not closed the case because they are still hoping for information about the driver of a Honda spotted next to the GMC Jimmy about an hour before the two bodies were discovered.

“The reason it’s not closed . . . is the blue Honda car,” Montijo said. “We have never been able to identify the person [driving the Honda], so it’s not closed.”

The Honda’s driver is not suspected of foul play, but investigators want to know what the man saw, Montijo said.