Dead soldier’s father sets himself alight
Three Marine officers arrived at the Florida home of Carlos Arredondo, 44, yesterday to break the news that his son, Private First Class Alexander Arredondo, 20, was dead.
Within seconds, Mr Arredondo walked outside, smashed the windows of the Marines' van, doused it with petrol and climbed inside clutching a propane tank from the garage, a police spokesman said.
He set the van ablaze, while still inside.
The three officers desperately dragged him from the van and extinguished the flames on the man. He was taken to hospital in a serious condition.
Mr Arrendono's wife Melid, the dead Marine's stepmother, said she knew the officers were bringing bad news as they approached the house.
"My husband immediately knew that his first-born son had been killed and my husband did not take the news well.
"It doesn't surprise me that he was so traumatised. He went crazy," she added. None of the officers were hurt.
