NORTH HOLLYWOOD (CNS) — An aspiring 33-year-old actor from Texas killed himself in North Hollywood earlier this week while broadcasting on Facebook’s livestream, and authorities said the suicide occurred days after he was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.
The man, identified by the coroner’s office as Frederick Jay Bowdy, told followers watching via livestream that he was going to commit suicide, prompting an out-of-state family member to call the Los Angeles Police Department about 5:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 23, police Sgt. Tiffany Ljubetic told the Los Angeles Times.
Police tried to reach Bowdy, who was in a car near Cumpston Street and Fulcher Avenue, but he killed himself before officers made contact with him, she said.
Users on Facebook who viewed the video expressed shock and sadness, and some wondered if it was a hoax since Bowdy was an actor. The video was later removed by Facebook, according to the company.
The Los Angeles County coroner’s office was expected to rule on the cause of death this week, but Lt. Larry Dietz confirmed Bowdy’s death appeared to be a suicide.
Bowdy was arrested Thursday, Jan. 19, in Santa Clarita on suspicion of sexual assault. He was released Friday after posting $100,000 bail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He had not been charged with a crime, The Times reported.
Bowdy was a recent transplant to Southern California from Texas, where he had worked as a teacher and coach in the Fort Worth area. He also owned a semi-professional basketball team in Fort Worth.
According to a biography issued by the team, Bowdy graduated from the University of West Georgia before earning a master’s degree in education from University of Texas in Arlington.