A father in Florida was shot and killed when he tried to stop a fight after he dropped his daughter off for her first day back at school.
After Daryl Hill took his 10-year-old daughter to Wolf Lake Elementary School on the morning of Tuesday, August 11, he was riding a bicycle near the city of Apopka when he saw a man and a woman fighting in a pickup truck. He then stopped to intervene and break up the fight, according to an affidavit for a warrant seen by People.
Orange County Sheriff’s Office’s Detective Christopher Gilberti claimed that the man – who is allegedly Raul Lionel Vazquez – removed the woman from the truck and started shouting in her face. Hill witnessed the altercation and stepped in, which led the two men to get into a fight. However, the fight escalated when the woman joined in to defend Vazquez, 26.
The three people landed in the bushes and police were called to the scene. Witnesses told authorities that Hill came out of the bushes with his hands up, while he also allegedly called for help before Vazquez shot him as he tried to leave the scene.
Witness Ryan Harper told WKMG that he and his wife were driving their children to school when they heard a “loud bang.” He then saw a body lying in the roadway, which he called a “pretty traumatizing” experience.
“Not the best way of going back to school on day one … I think everybody’s shaken up by it,” Harper added, noting it was his child’s first day of school.
Hill was then taken to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Vazquez was questioned by police and said that Hill attacked him. However, several witnesses said Hill was unarmed and did not appear to be a threat during the altercation.
Vazquez was arrested hours later on August 11 and he made his first court appearance on Wednesday, August 12. He was charged with second-degree murder with a firearm, and he will next appear in court on Monday, August 17.
The affidavit revealed that Vazquez was out on bond at the time of the altercation after he was previously charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
It is not currently clear if Vazquez has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding the case.
Hill’s wife, Suzanne, spoke to WKMG following the tragedy, saying she was “heartbroken” that her husband was killed. She added that she wanted to “keep my daughter around some level of normalcy and yet remember her daddy, who she adored.”
“Behind the laughter and fun was a warm, caring, and sincere person who really loved people, especially his family,” she said of Hill.
A GoFundMe has since been set up to help Suzanne during the difficult time. “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,” a loved one wrote on the page. “He had a contagious personality, an incredible sense of humor, and a way of bringing laughter and joy to the people around him. His presence will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and everyone whose life was touched by knowing him.”
