CMH Doctor Charged With Attempting to Steal Drugs, Kill Self

A 39-year-old Menomonee Falls doctor is facing charges after he allegedly got into a fight with his wife about visiting an escort, then tried to steal medication from Community Memorial Hospital in an effort to commit suicide.

Jesse J. VanBommel was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court Friday with one count of possession of narcotic drugs, one count of possession of an illegally obtained prescription, one count of criminal damage to property and one count of disorderly conduct domestic abuse. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and $21,500 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

On Sept. 15, VanBommel called Menomonee Falls police to his home in the W16900 block of Old Hickory Road after his wife took his wallet when she discovered he was spending money to see a prostitute/escort. VanBommel left the residence, then came back when police arrived and agreed to stay in the basement the rest of the night to avoid his wife.

However, VanBommel couldn’t sleep so he took three Adivan pills, then went upstairs and went into an office area of the home where he rammed a telescope through his favorite Beetles painting and completely through the wall, then broke collectible figurines he owned and ripped double doors off the wall.

He left the home and his wife called police back to the residence. While talking with officers, VanBommel called from a payphone and told his wife to tell the kids goodbye and how to get money from his accounts because he was going to jump off the Hoan Bridge.

His wife told police VanBommel is an anesthesiologist and once attempted suicide while working at Children’s Hospital by injecting himself with various medications. She said he had been undergoing psychiatric treatment after the incident.

A police officer then went to Community Memorial to alert security of VanBommel possibly coming to the hospital to attempt suicide the same way. While talking with a guard, police saw him pull up and park. The officer and guard then ran down to the car, but VanBommel already disappeared into the hospital by the time they arrived.

Officers and staff then looked through the hospital for VanBommel and found him dressed in doctor’s scrubs carrying various items. Officers convinced VanBommel to drop the items, then he pressed against the wall and slid down to the floor in a borderline hysterical state.

Officers discovered VanBommel was carrying syringes, a bottle of Propofol, two bottles of Fentanyl, a jar of Rocuronium, which if all injected could cause death.

VanBommel told officers her got into the fight with his wife because he was seeing an escort for companion reasons, not sexual because he felt it was missing from his marriage. He said he then planned to jump off the Hoan Bridge, but he drove over it four or five times, then sat underneath it for awhile, but decided he didn’t want to die like that, so he decided to try and kill himself in the same attempt he made in 2001 while a resident at Children’s.

VanBommel said he grabbed the bottles from the first name he saw at the dispensary and got double doses so the drugs would kill him in five seconds. He said he was leaving the hospital at the time he was apprehended, so he could go find a place to kill himself.

He’s currently free on a $5,000 signature bond while awaiting trial.