Send news tip to FOXNews.com

SUBMIT

Cops: Marine Planned Gunshot to Avoid Iraq

Friday, July 15, 2005

CHICAGO —  A young Marine who feared returning to Iraq persuaded his cousin to shoot him in the leg, then told police he was hit by random gang gunfire, authorities said.

The shooting early Saturday was meant to keep 19-year-old Moises Hernandez (search) from going back to Iraq, prosecutors said.

He was charged with filing a false police report. His cousin, Juan Hernandez, 19, faces a felony weapons charge.

Moises Hernandez is back with his unit at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and the Marines are investigating the incident. His unit had returned June 5 from a six-month deployment that included a month in Iraq.

The young man's father, Ray Hernandez, said his son also had been sent to Indonesia (search) after the devastating tsunami (search) in December. The father said his son had seen death up close and was troubled by nightmares when he returned home.

"Whatever he experienced changed him totally," the senior Hernandez said.

Relatedno

  • Stories

    Background

    Fallen Heroes of Iraqi Freedom

    Background

    FOXNews.com does not endorse content on external sites

    Maps

    Photo Essays of the Reconstruction

    Video: Establishing Peace

    U.S. Military

    Photo Essays from the War

    Interactives

    Profiles

    Premium Content for FOX Fans

    Fox Fast Links

    FOXNews.com does not endorse content on external sites

Fox News Video
ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Advertise on Fox News Channel, FOXNews.com and FOX News Radio. Advertising Specifications (PDF). Jobs at FOX News Channel. Internships At Fox News (Deadline for summer applications: Feb. 29, 2008)

Terms of use. Privacy Statement. For FOXNews.com comments write to foxnewsonline@foxnews.com; For FOX News Channel comments write to yourcomments@foxnews.com

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. © 2008 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. All market data delayed 20 minutes.