A Florida father was shot and killed after trying to break up a fight just after dropping his 10-year-old daughter off for her first day of school, authorities said.
Daryl Hill was riding his bicycle near Apopka, outside Orlando, on the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 11, after taking his daughter to Wolf Lake Elementary School.
According to police records, Hill spotted a man and woman fighting inside a pickup truck and stopped to help.
Investigators identified the man as 26-year-old Raul Lionel Vazquez.
Police said Vazquez pulled the woman from the truck and began yelling in her face. Hill then stepped in, and a fight broke out between the two men.
The woman also reportedly became involved in the confrontation while defending Vazquez.
Witnesses told investigators the group eventually moved into nearby bushes.
Moments later, Hill reportedly came back out with his hands raised and called for help.
Police allege Vazquez then shot Hill as he tried to leave the area.
One witness, Ryan Harper, told WKMG that he and his wife were taking their own children to school when they came upon a line of traffic and suddenly heard a “loud bang.”
He said seeing a body lying in the roadway was “pretty traumatizing.”
“Not the best way of going back to school on day one,” Harper said. “I think everybody’s shaken up by it.”
Orange County Fire Rescue rushed Hill to the hospital, but he later died from his injuries.
Vazquez allegedly told police that he had been attacked, but witnesses said Hill was unarmed and did not pose a threat.
Vazquez was arrested later that day and appeared in court on Wednesday.
He is facing a charge of second-degree murder with a firearm, according to records from the Ninth Circuit State Attorney’s Office. A hearing is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 17.
Authorities also said Vazquez was already out on bond in a separate case involving an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge.
Hill’s wife of 17 years, Suzanne, said she was devastated by the loss.
She told WKMG she was trying to keep life as normal as possible for their daughter while also making sure she remembers the father she adored.
Suzanne said she wanted Vazquez to “suffer” for what happened before describing her husband as a deeply caring man.
“Behind the laughter and fun was a warm, caring, and sincere person who really loved people, especially his family,” she said.
A family friend has also launched a GoFundMe to help Suzanne and her daughter following Hill’s death.
“Daryl lost his life while trying to help someone in need — a reflection of the kind of person he was and the heart he had for others,” the fundraiser reads.
Friends described Hill as someone with a contagious personality, a great sense of humor and a talent for bringing happiness to the people around him.
His death has left his family and community grieving after what was supposed to be a happy first day back at school.
So tragic. The woman instead of being greatful because someone tried to help her and just call the cops, then defends her spik boyfriend? She didn’t deserve to be helped. Skanks like that shouldn’t be helped.