Aijalon Gomes is a name that is a blast from the past due to his time in 2010 when he crossed border into North Korea for religious reasons. Well now he is back in the news after experiencing a horrible death:
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter with Aijalon Gomes in 2010
Aijalon Gomes stepped on the world stage eight years ago when he walked across a frozen river into North Korea.
Months later, he again made headlines when a former president secured his release from the communist nation.
His death on Friday also drew attention, when an off-duty officer found him engulfed in flames in a dirt field not far from Fiesta Island. He was 38.
Investigators suspect Gomes’ death was either an accident or a suicide, San Diego police said Tuesday.
An off-duty California Highway Patrol officer was driving west on Pacific Highway near Sea World Drive about 11:30 p.m. when he saw Gomes on fire, running then collapsing, homicide Lt. Todd Griffin said.
Gomes had recently moved to the San Diego area from Boston, Griffin said, but it is unclear exactly where he was residing. [San Diego Union Tribune]
You can read more at the link, but I always thought Gomes had mental issues when he decided to walk across the border to North Korea. It appears that he did have mental issues according to a family member:
An uncle said Gomes was distant from the family before he left the East Coast. They were not sure why he was in San Diego.
A friend of Gomes posted a statement on Facebook reflecting on the time she spent with him and suggested he had mental health issues.
“I say all of this to say that we should move away from mental health issues being such a stigma in our community. If you need help or your mood isn’t what you feel it should be, don’t be embarrassed to seek help and if you know someone who may be suffering, offer them a kind word as it just may make all the difference. Seeking professional help doesn’t make you strange; it makes you human. Rest In Peace Aijalon!” Marshalette Wise posted. [Fox5SanDiego]
You can read more at the link, but condolences to his family because this is definitely a horrible way to have to deal with the loss of a loved one.
