A California man who was under surveillance by law enforcement conducting an arms trafficking investigation jumped from a bridge into a frigid Rhode Island river to evade police who had pulled over the car he was in, police said.
Joseph Darosa, 28, of Modesto, California, survived Wednesday night’s jump and was found in a marshy area nearly an hour later, East Providence Police Chief Christopher Francesconi said at a news conference Thursday. He was taken to a hospital but is now in police custody.
Darosa was seen leaving an East Providence home carrying a suitcase and getting into a car he had hired on a ride-hailing app, the chief said.
Police pulled over the vehicle on Interstate 195, and Darosa got out. He ignored commands to get back in the vehicle and jumped into the Seekonk River, the chief said. Francesconi did not know exactly how far of a drop it was, but called it a “pretty decent fall.”
The suitcase was found to contain 13 handguns and one rifle, the chief said. Darosa faces multiple firearms charges.
It was not clear when he will be arraigned or if he has an attorney.