Soldier charged in phony fireworks attack

A Fort Bragg soldier has been charged with filing a false police report after he and his buddy told authorities someone threw a lit firecracker into their truck.

Christian Omar Martinez, 19, also was charged with resisting, delaying or obstructing a criminal investigation and discharging illegal fireworks.

Martinez and Alex Christman, another soldier, were in a 2007 Nissan Titan pickup truck on Sept. 5 when Christman lit a firecracker and tried to throw it out the window, authorities said. Instead, the device fell to the floor of the truck cab and exploded, authorities said.

Both soldiers suffered burns, and the truck was damaged in the blast, authorities said.

The soldiers then called 911 to report that they were attacked in order to avoid Army discipline, authorities said.