Authorities say a young marine, terrified of returning to Iraq, had his cousin shoot him in the leg, and then told police he was hit by random gang gunfire.

According to police, the shooting was meant to keep 19-year-old Moises Hernandez from returning to the war-torn country. He was charged with filing a false police report, while his cousin, Juan, also 19, faces felony weapons charges.

Moises Hernandez is now back with his unit in Camp Pendleton, California, with the Marines investigating the incident.

His father, Ray, says his son was also deployed to Indonesia following last December's tsunami disaster. He says his son has seen death up close and has been plagued by nightmares since his return.