U.S. soldier held in slayings of fellow servicemen in Iraq
An American soldier in Iraq was detained after a heated argument with fellow servicemen ended in the fatal shooting of two and the wounding of another, the U.S. military said Tuesday.
Military spokesman Col. Barry Johnson said an argument erupted among the soldiers, and Spc. Neftaly Platero was suspected of grabbing his weapon and opening fire on his colleagues during the Sept. 23 incident in Fallouja, west of Baghdad.
Platero was being held in pretrial confinement, a military statement added.
The Pentagon identified the slain men as Spc. John Carrillo Jr., 20, of Stockton; and Pfc. Gebrah P. Noonan, 26, of Watertown, Conn.
American forces in Iraq have drawn down to fewer than 50,000 troops ahead of the scheduled withdrawal of U.S. troops at the end of 2011. Although American troops still conduct operations with Iraqi security forces and come under attack, their casualty figures are comparatively low. Fifty-four U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq this year.
ned.parker@latimes.com
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
