Anything but back to Iraq Desperate G.I., wife hired man to shoot him: cops

[RamboLiberal]

Source: NY Daily News

A Bronx soldier who lost his stomach for war allegedly hired a hit man to shoot him in the leg so he wouldn't have to go back to Iraq, prosecutors said yesterday.

But 20-year-old Jonathan Aponte's plan backfired when cops began grilling him and his wife about the injury he suffered Monday while home on leave.

Now Aponte and his wife, Alexandra Gonzalez, who hoped the gunplay would bring them more time together, face being separated by prison terms if convicted.

Both were charged in Bronx Criminal Court with conspiracy and falsely reporting an incident, and Gonzalez faces additional counts. Aponte's mother and his attorney, however, are hoping the courts will show mercy for an Army soldier desperate to avoid returning to the front line.

"I believe the shooting was a cry for help. It had to be," said Gwen Aponte, whose son has served 10 months in Iraq and just had his tour extended for six more. After being shot in the leg at Bronx Blvd. and E. Gun Hill Road, Aponte told cops the gunman was "an unknown male."



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime_file/2007/07/13/2007-07-13_anything_but_back_to_iraq-4.html

[gratuitous]

1. Mr. Aponte, we want you to shoot other people

Not get shot yourself.

Joining the military is not a life-affirming event, okay?

[lovuian]

2. You see the Desperation here

the troops are getting sick of it

[krispos42]

3. Makes me wonder what else the troops are doing to not go back

hmmm...

[hootinholler]

4. Makes me wonder what the troops are doing to go back.

What mind numbing shit is going down.

-Hoot

[rodeodance]

5. police do not take lightly the making of fase claims.

[krkaufman]

6. I would hope that their lawyer(s) use PTSD in their defense.

The military is being asked to do too much, so occurrences like this are not that surprising.

[Ian David]

9. Absolutely. We broke them. We fix them. Pottery Barn Rules. n/t

[Ian David]

7. He could have just said he had a boyfriend. Geesh!

I mean, the Army is sending amputees back to the front lines... but not gay people.

You want out, you kiss a dude.

[MetaTrope]

8. True, any Republican senator in a park men's room would do

:rofl:

[steve2470]

10. Soldier Shoots Himself to Avoid Iraq

Source: AP

NEW YORK (AP) -- A soldier who recently returned from Iraq has admitted he paid someone $500 to shoot him in the leg so he could avoid returning for another tour.

Jonathan Aponte, 20, claimed he had been robbed and shot but changed his story when police questioned him, authorities said. Aponte, who was facing another eight-month tour, had been scheduled to leave last Monday.

"As far as being shot at every day, I think it's better," Aponte told WCBS-TV in an interview that aired Friday. "Mentally I can't do it anymore. I can't handle it anymore."

Aponte was charged with conspiracy and falsely reporting an incident, according to the criminal complaint.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SOLDIER_SHOOTING?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

[sutz12]

11. And yet another way this becomes Vietnam redux.

:shrug:

[Hissyspit]

12. Why did he think that that being shot in the leg would keep him from being sent back

to Iraq?

They would just fix him up and give him another 15-month tour.

[Screwfly]

13. He could've

claimed nerve damage to his leg and walked around on crutches till his discharge went through.

Personally, I would rather desert to Iran before doing some crazy shit like having somebody shoot me.

[Cha]

14. Desert to Iran? Wouldn't that

be kinda dangerous given the blowhard politicians who want to bomb the shyte outta Iran?