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PrintFamily of Ex-Marine fears for his safety
PALMETTO BAY, Fla. (WSVN) -- A South Florida family is desperate to get their son home safely before the holidays. He is being held in a Mexican prison and has been there already for more than six months.
"I try not to think too far ahead; you have to go one day at a time," said Olivia Hammar.
The mother of a former US Marine who has fought for our freedom in the Middle East cried for her son who is now trapped in Mexico fighting for his own freedom.
After being treated for post traumatic stress syndrome, Jon Hammar and another former US Marine wanted to get away and surf, the sport his family calls his therapy. "They bought an old Winnebago," said Hammar. "And they worked on it and worked on it, and they finally got it going. They threw some surfboards in it and ended up in Cocoa Beach, worked on it some more and finally got back on the road. They were gonna cross Mexico and go down to Central America."
Jon Hammar tried to cross an old shotgun into Mexico, a crime in our neighboring country. "For something as silly as a border crossing infraction, where he didn't even get into the country," said Hammar, "to put his life in jeopardy."
After trying every legal way possible through a Mexican attorney to get him home, the Hammar family is asking for the US to step in. "We weren't getting anywhere within the legitimate legal channels in Mexico. Ultimately, the White House may have to get involved in this. We're asking for any help from anyone we can find."
Until then, Hammar fears for his life everyday in the Matamoros prison. "The Mexican guards have gotten word that it's public," said Hammar, "and you know, they know this is our fault."
There is now a petition drive to help get this man home safe:
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