Inland Valley Daily Bulletin -- Army Pfc. William A. "Tony" Farrar Jr., 20, of Redlands was killed Friday in Iraq when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Farrar, son of Rialto police Capt. Tony Farrar, died in Al Iskandariyah, about 30 miles south of Baghdad, where he was on military police duty.

A Police Department spokesman said the mood was solemn at headquarters on Monday, where the soldier's father has worked since his son was an infant.

"Everyone here, especially those of us who knew Tony Jr., are just devastated," said Sgt. Tim Lane, a department veteran who said his and Farrar's families sometimes vacationed together when the young soldier was a child.

From his home in Redlands on Monday, Farrar would say only that he is deeply saddened and caught up in family affairs.

Farrar Jr. was assigned to the 127th Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, Darmstadt, Germany, according to a Department of Defense release.

Lane said the Police Department learned of the tragedy from the soldier's family Friday night. He said the news was still painful on Monday.

"We were all real proud of him and his decision to join the armed forces Advertisement and serve the country," Lane said.

At least 3,400 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq since March 2003. Violence has escalated in the war zone, causing a torrid rate of U.S. deaths since April 1. Last month, 104 soldiers were killed, making April 2007 one of the war's deadliest months. With May half over, the death count for this month stands at 50.

Farrar Jr. was the eldest of three sons. Another is Kenny, a Marine, and the third, Nic, attends Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa, and hopes to become a paramedic. Their stepmother, Cathy, works for San Bernardino County.