Killer 'Santa' Was Out to Get His Mom

Gunman found with costume fused to skin

(NEWSER) - The California Santa killer, who committed suicide after massacring his ex-wife’s family, had planned an escape by plane—but he was foiled by third-degree burns as his Santa Claus suit melted onto his body, the Los Angeles Times reports. The explosion as he set fire to his ex-wife’s parents’ house left burns on his arms, and he never made it to the airport. More»

Engineer carried firestarting device disguised as a gift

(NEWSER) - The death toll in the Christmas Eve massacre by a California man dressed as Santa Claus has now risen to at least eight as more details of the rampage emerge, the Los Angeles Times reports. Bruce Jeffrey Pardo first shot in the face an 8-year-old girl who answered the door at his former in-laws' home, then opened fire on his relatives, ex-wife and a crowd of holiday guests. More»

He threatens mayhem in 911 call

(NEWSER) - Economic hard times took a deadly turn when a soon-to-be-fired 60-year-old California man apparently torched his foreclosed home and shot himself and his wife. Authorities found the remains of two people in the ashes of the suburban San Diego home after the man called 911 to report that he had shot his wife and was going to burn down their home. A neighbor thought the homeowner was joking when he threatened to set his house ablaze, but then "we're smelling gasoline, so we knew that he wasn't messing around," he told the San Diego Union-Tribune . More»

Pharmacy worker believed to have been fearing layoffs

(NEWSER) - A worker at the Long Beach Medical Center shot and killed his boss and another manager before taking his own life yesterday, reports the Los Angeles Times. Witnesses said pharmacy technician Mario Ramirez, 50, showed up for work brandishing a pair of handguns and deliberately sought out his victims. Friends say he had heard rumors of impending layoffs. More»

(NEWSER) - The California man who murdered his ex-wife and eight members of her family on Christmas Eve while dressed as Santa Claus had cocaine in his system, the Los Angeles Times reports. The coroner’s office said the cocaine was present in trace amounts and was only a contributing factor to Bruce Jeffrey Pardo’s rampage. After committing the murders and setting the house where they took place ablaze, Pardo took his own life. More»