Caregiver Facing Charges ID'd In Suspected Suicide By SMART Train

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A man who was killed Tuesday night when he lay in front of an oncoming Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit train near Rohnert Park was identified as 68-year-old Keith Marcum of Rohnert Park. Assistant Sonoma County District Attorney William Brockley and Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety Deputy Chief Aaron Johnson confirmed Marcum was charged in Sonoma County Superior Court with continuous sexual abuse of minors.

Marcum was arrested in April on suspicion of continuous sexual abuse of a child. He faced multiple counts of committing forced sex acts with minors age 14 and older, and was scheduled to appear in court July 23 for the setting of a preliminary hearing on the charges.

Marcum was struck around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday by a SMART train south of Scenic Avenue near Rohnert Park's northern city limit. SMART police Chief Jennifer McGill said Marcum's death was clearly intentional.

Marcum was operating an in-home care facility for mentally and physically disabled children on Brenda Way in Rohnert Park for 30 years, the Department of Public Safety said.

• RELATED COVERAGE: 13 Counts Of Sex Abuse Filed Against Caregiver For Disabled: DA | Caregiver Accused Of Sexually Abusing Disabled Patient: Police

A disabled victim and a past resident of Marcum's in-home care facility came forward and revealed years of sexual and physical abuse, according to the Department of Public Safety.

There were three known victims of the abuse, Johnson said.

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— Bay City News Service

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is open 24 hours a day at 800-273-8255.