Suicide of homicide suspect in brig probed

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- A sailor held in a U.S. naval brig who took his life last week had made two previous attempts at suicide since his arrest on homicide charges, officials say.

A spokeswoman for the Marines said Camp Pendleton in California is conducting an internal investigation into Jonathan Campos' suicide, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. At the time of his death Friday, Campos, a petty officer 2nd class, was being held under suicide watch, with closed-circuit video monitoring in his cell.

Campos, from Lancaster, Calif., was charged with a crime spree that culminated with setting an amphibious vehicle on fire and killing August Provost of Houston and setting his body on fire. Investigators say Campos did not know Provost, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, on sentry duty June 30.

The Naval Criminal Investigation Service is also investigating the suicide. Officials say Campos was found unresponsive on Friday, 36, minutes after he had last been checked, and was found to have asphyxiated himself with toilet paper.