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Santa gunman was in bitter divorce, lost job
http://www.startribune.com ^ | December 26, 2008 | By CHRISTINA HOAG

Posted on 12/27/2008 9:37:19 AM PST by Maelstorm

COVINA, Calif. - A man who carried out a Christmas Eve massacre and arson dressed as Santa at the home of his former in-laws apparently intended to flee the U.S., but his plans were dashed after the inferno he created severely burned his arms and melted his red costume onto his body, police said Friday.

Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, a laid-off aerospace worker, apparently shot some of his nine victims execution-style in a plot to destroy his ex-wife's family after a costly divorce that was finalized last week. He had an airline ticket for a Christmas morning flight to Canada and $17,000 in cash on his body, some attached to his legs with plastic wrap and some in a girdle, Covina police Chief Kim Raney said. He did not know the Canadian destination.

Armed with four guns, wearing the Santa suit and carrying a fuel-spraying device wrapped like a present, Pardo showed up at the home at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday as a party of about 25 people was under way.

Raney said Pardo, 45, fired a shot into the face of an 8-year-old girl who answered the door and at first fired indiscriminately, then apparently targeted relatives of his ex-wife as other guests fled.

"There's some information that he stood over them and shot them execution-style," Raney said.

Pardo retreated to the front door and retrieved a device that mixed carbon dioxide or oxygen with high-octane racing fuel, police said. Fleeing guests saw him spraying the fuel inside the house when the vapor was ignited, possibly by a pilot light or a candle, and exploded.

"Mr. Pardo was severely injured during that explosion," Raney said. "He suffered third-degree burns on both arms and it also appears that the Santa Claus suit that he was wearing did melt onto his body."

(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: badsanta; evil; horror; pardo; santa
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To: Scotswife
So - are you aware of which it is in this case? Or are you making assumptions?

You asked why the courts usually give the women the houses. And there you have it.

And he had a thing for using an abandoned disabled son as a tax write off.

And it helped pay for her vacations and golf lessons.

81 posted on 12/27/2008 10:55:39 AM PST by LdSentinal
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

I’m sorry about your job situation.

Sadly - on this site, you can bet if there’s a thread where the story involves a divorce, it will eventually be swarmed by angry men who have been done wrong by bad women.
Hence the “all women are evil” ping.


82 posted on 12/27/2008 10:55:54 AM PST by Scotswife
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To: null and void
Speaking of which, have you ever seen anyone dress up for Halloween as Santa?

Yes. My son when he was 10.

83 posted on 12/27/2008 10:55:55 AM PST by TheMom (Merry Christmas)
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To: Scotswife
Just. Wow.

Yes, the amazement of the daily happenings of the American Family Court system.

And these murders are the result of that lovely system.

84 posted on 12/27/2008 10:57:31 AM PST by LdSentinal
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To: LdSentinal

“You asked why the courts usually give the women the houses. And there you have it.”

I also asked if you have any reason to believe that is the case in this situation.

“And it helped pay for her vacations and golf lessons.”

Not to her knowledge - and it seems that did make a difference.

If she were truly a heartless cold bitch she wouldn’t have cared either way.


85 posted on 12/27/2008 10:57:34 AM PST by Scotswife
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To: LdSentinal

“And these murders are the result of that lovely system.”

No they aren’t.


86 posted on 12/27/2008 10:58:46 AM PST by Scotswife
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To: Scotswife
I also asked if you have any reason to believe that is the case in this situation.

You said that women get the house usually, and I answered why that's the case.

If she were truly a heartless cold bitch she wouldn’t have cared either way.

Doubtful, since she asked for money.

87 posted on 12/27/2008 11:00:48 AM PST by LdSentinal
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To: Scotswife
No they aren’t.

Quite an assumption.

88 posted on 12/27/2008 11:01:31 AM PST by LdSentinal
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To: MaxMax
He wouldn't say what the couple's problems were, but did say Pardo wanted to remain married while his wife wanted the divorce.

Few things in this world as dangerous as a jealous/angry husband/x-husband.

And the favoritism of the courts go unreported.

People make bad decisions when they marry, many times it just ends ugly, most the time it ends even uglier for the male...

Some people can handle their anger/resentment, and some become extremely dangerous and are no different than a walking time bomb.

89 posted on 12/27/2008 11:01:34 AM PST by dragnet2
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To: LdSentinal
No, but if you're required to pay a large amount of money without a job and threatened with prison time, I understand why he snapped.

Apparently he was required to pay her about 10% of the equity they had in the house, and let her keep her wedding ring.

BOO. HOO. Poor mistreated guy.

90 posted on 12/27/2008 11:04:16 AM PST by Amelia
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To: Amelia
BOO. HOO. Poor mistreated guy.

I agree.

91 posted on 12/27/2008 11:06:17 AM PST by LdSentinal
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To: LdSentinal

“Quite an assumption.”

pot meet kettle


92 posted on 12/27/2008 11:06:47 AM PST by Scotswife
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To: Scotswife
pot meet kettle

Strawman arguement, blah, blah.

93 posted on 12/27/2008 11:10:58 AM PST by LdSentinal
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To: LdSentinal

you can “assume” the poor guy was mistreated. Go ahead.

And I will assume that anyone who would shoot an 8 year old in the face and kill 9 people on Christmas in a Santa Suit most likely already had some severe “issues” prior to this incident.


94 posted on 12/27/2008 11:13:39 AM PST by Scotswife
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To: Scotswife
And I will assume that anyone who would shoot an 8 year old in the face and kill 9 people on Christmas in a Santa Suit most likely already had some severe “issues” prior to this incident.

Assume away. When you assume, you make an Ass of of U and ME.

What Pardo did was despicable, but a biased Family Court system, which would allow such a settlement, pulled that trigger.

95 posted on 12/27/2008 11:16:41 AM PST by LdSentinal
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To: LdSentinal

” but a biased Family Court system, which would allow such a settlement, pulled that trigger.”

No.
Pardo pulled the trigger.

It takes a special kind of animal to commit this kind of depravity.


96 posted on 12/27/2008 11:19:29 AM PST by Scotswife
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To: TheMom

Good for him!


97 posted on 12/27/2008 11:19:55 AM PST by null and void (Petroglyphs. The original cliffs notes...)
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To: Scotswife
Pardo pulled the trigger.

A unfair divorce settlement helped squeeze the trigger.

It takes a special kind of animal to commit this kind of depravity.

And the Family Court turned him into that animal.

98 posted on 12/27/2008 11:21:46 AM PST by LdSentinal
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To: Maelstorm

When I read about this some alarm bells went off... it seems that this guy was robbed by a predatory gold-digger and did not take kindly to it.

They were married for a just a year when the problem came up. It was not a case of “Oh it didn’t work out, let’s go our separate ways”, but rather - “Give me the house bub!” Less than two years after they married the divorce was finalized and he had to pay her off - this after fighting a bitter fight to hold on to his $500,000.00 home.

Why was she trying to use the court system to steal a man’s property after one year of marriage?

I’m not condoning his reaction - shooting little girls is certainly way over the top.

Yet predatory women are routinely allowed to marry and steal property from men, especially in places like California. I had a friend who lost much more after a marriage that lasted two weeks.

This guy had enough.


99 posted on 12/27/2008 11:23:26 AM PST by Bon mots
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To: LdSentinal

I’m always surprised when I run into this type of thinking on a conservative forum.

It’s usually the liberals who refuse to take personal responsibility and want to blame bad behavior on anyone but the perpetrator.

We make fun of them when they excuse the cop killers - but a clear cut case of coldblooded murder by this guy?
Well it’s the court system of course!

Amazing.

Adios - you and I are not going to agree on anything.


100 posted on 12/27/2008 11:24:26 AM PST by Scotswife
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