Basejumper.com - archive

Tower Jumper Has Yet To Pay For Rescue
November 1, 2007

California - On Oct. 27, 2005, John Agnos celebrated his 41st birthday by jumping off a 2,000-foot television tower in Walnut Grove. On the way down, his parachute hit a wire, leaving the Hayward man dangling 200 feet from the ground. I just made a BASE jump, but my parachute wrapped around a guy wire. Agnos, using his cell phone, told a 911 operator. "I'm hanging here. I think I'm going to die here, oh, God!"
A Sacramento firefighter risked his life to bring Agnos back to earth about midnight.

From the outset, authorities said Agnos would likely face a hefty bill for the rescue.

But nearly two years later, no final restitution order has been issued in connection with the incident, according to documents in Sacramento Superior Court.

Instead, Agnos has racked up three arrest warrants for failure to appear in court. The most recent warrant was issued last week when Agnos skipped a Sacramento Superior Court hearing where he was to prove he had completed his sentence of 45 days of community service in San Francisco County.

The case has been hung up in the courts for more than two years.

After pleading guilty to trespassing-related charges stemming from his abortive jump, Agnos was ordered by the court Feb. 8 to pay restitution, in an amount to be determined, to the Sacramento Fire Department, the Cosumnes Community Services District Fire Department and the Walnut Grove Fire District and other entities, records show.

"But nothing has been paid because there hasn't been an amount determined," Jaime Collins, a spokeswoman for the court, said last week.

Collins said she couldn't explain the slow process.

"I have no idea what the cause of the delay would be. It makes no sense," Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness said earlier this month after learning that final restitution had not been worked out.

"It's frustrating," he said, adding that he had assumed the case had ended months ago.

McGinness, then the under-sheriff, witnessed the rescue operation that involved at least 25 firefighters from various area departments.

"I think it's absolutely appropriate that (Agnos) be taught a lesson and have to pay up" for the services performed for him, McGinness said.

The Sacramento Fire Department is owed $2,421.51 for its work that night, according to Lan Wang, a senior deputy city attorney.

The Cosumnes Community Services District had sought $9,453 for its services to Agnos, department officials said.

"In 2005, we submitted a cost-recovery request in that amount to the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office," said Kristyn Staby, district spokeswoman.

"We have not received any money (from Agnos) to date," she said. "Our business officer will continue to work with the District Attorney's Office to seek restitution."

The Walnut Grove Fire District is still owed between $700 and $800 by Agnos, said Deputy Fire Chief Vic Savale.

"We billed him for all the equipment we had out there, and we never got reimbursed or anything," said Savale, who served as incident commander for the Agnos rescue operation.

"We're a volunteer department," Savale said, adding that he feels frustrated.

"You have to make an example out of someone like that" to deter other jumpers, he said.

Lana Wyant, spokeswoman for the District Attorney's Office, said the DA aggressively seeks restitution "for anybody who has been financially harmed or burdened by any case."

When defendants refuse to pay court-ordered restitution, their assets can be pursued through other means, including garnishment of wages.

Agnos, who could not be reached for comment, previously told The Bee that he had jumped from the Walnut Grove TV tower at least 25 times before Oct. 27, 2005.

Written by Sacramento Bee