A Florida father who had just dropped his daughter off for her first day of school was shot dead on his way home after trying to break up a heated argument between a couple.
Daryl Hill, 56, was fatally shot Tuesday morning after stopping at a crash scene near Plymouth Sorrento and West Ponkan roads to intervene in a fight between a couple, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The father was ‘simply trying to help someone who appeared to be in distress’ when he was gunned down, police said, as his heartbroken wife hailed him as a hero.
‘He was also the kindest heart and would protect anybody, especially his family, with his life, and I think he did that today,’ Suzanne Hill, his wife of 17 years, told WESH 2 News.
‘I think he did that today. I really do,’ she added. ‘Really a hero.’
The alleged shooter was quickly identified by police as 26-year-old Raul Lionel Vazquez, who was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the ‘senseless’ killing of the father-of-three.
‘Daryl was a small man but larger than life,’ Suzanne said. ‘Very, very angry. Very angry with somebody to do this to this man and my family.’
She revealed that she had been tracking her husband’s location as he cycled home when the deadly confrontation unfolded.
Daryl Hill, 56, of Florida, was shot dead Tuesday morning after trying to break up a heated argument between a couple
The alleged shooter was quickly identified by police as 26-year-old Raul Lionel Vazquez
His wife of 17 years, Suzanne Hill, said he had just dropped their 10-year-old daughter off for her first day of school
The killing came after Hill stopped at a crash scene near Plymouth Sorrento and West Ponkan roads to separate a couple
Suzanne told WESH 2 News: ‘He was also the kindest heart and would protect anybody, especially his family, with his life, and I think he did that today’
Hill leaves behind two adult sons and his 10-year-old daughter, whom Suzanne lovingly called their ‘miracle daughter’
‘When his phone remained in the same position for an hour and he didn’t answer, I went home to check on him, and I saw the crime scene unit,’ Suzanne told WESH 2 News.
‘I didn’t see the scene, thank God, but I saw the detectives and confirmed my worst nightmare,’ she added.
The deadly scene occurred around 8.30am Tuesday, when Hill was riding his bicycle home after dropping his 10-year-old daughter off at school in Apopka, about 20 miles northwest of Orlando.
Around the same time, police began receiving reports of a man and woman physically fighting inside a vehicle. Witnesses then told deputies they saw a pickup truck crash into an SUV.
Vazquez, shirtless and shoeless, climbed out of the pickup truck with an unidentified woman and continued arguing with her, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime.
Hill stumbled upon the scene as Vazquez was allegedly yelling in the woman’s face, prompting him to get off his bike and attempt to separate the pair, per the document.
The confrontation turned physical, with all three tumbling into some bushes, according to the affidavit. After getting back up, Hill ran away as Vazquez allegedly grabbed a shotgun from the back of the truck.
Hill, still running with his hands raised, was screaming ‘Help!’ when a shot rang out, sending the father crashing face-first to the ground, according to police.
Police were receiving reports of a man and woman physically fighting inside a vehicle. Witnesses told deputies they saw a pickup truck crash into an SUV
Hill stumbled upon the scene as Vazquez was allegedly yelling in the woman’s face. The confrontation turned physical, with all three tumbling into some bushes
Hill ran away as Vazquez allegedly grabbed a shotgun from the back of the truck. Hill was screaming ‘Help!’ when a shot rang out, sending the father crashing face-first to the ground
During police interviews, both Vazquez and the woman claimed Hill was the aggressor but police noted inconsistencies in their accounts
Vazquez remains in the Orange County Jail without bond
‘During that altercation, a bystander attempted to intervene and was shot. The bystander was transported to the hospital, where he died,’ the sheriff’s office said.
During police interviews, the woman told investigators that Hill was the aggressor and had pushed Vazquez, according to court documents. When pressed further, she requested an attorney.
Meanwhile, Vazquez also claimed Hill attacked him first, but deputies noted that he ‘had many different accounts of the incident.’
Vazquez said his martial arts and wrestling training had him ‘getting the better of’ Hill before admitting he fired the shotgun, deputies wrote in the affidavit.
The shocking murder left Hill’s family devastated, with his wife, Suzanne, describing him as a ‘man who wanted to make everybody laugh,’ according to WESH.
She said he was a small business owner who bought the contents of storage units and a loving father who showed kindness to strangers and family alike. Above all, she described him as ‘giving.’
‘He was always a father, my husband. He was always a father,’ Suzanne told the outlet.
Hill leaves behind two adult sons and his 10-year-old daughter, whom Suzanne lovingly called their ‘miracle daughter.’
‘That’s how he would want to be remembered, and for loving his family unconditionally. Unconditionally,’ she told the outlet. ‘He was just such an incredible man.’
A GoFundMe page was launched to support the family, which read: ‘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.’
‘Daryl was loved by so many. He had a contagious personality, an incredible sense of humor, and a way of bringing laughter and joy to the people around him,’ it added.
‘His presence will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and everyone whose life was touched by knowing him.’
Vazquez remains in the Orange County Jail without bond.
