Raul Lionel Vazquez, 26, faces a second-degree murder charge in connection with Daryl Hill’s death
Credit: GoFundMe
NEED TO KNOW
- A dad was fatally shot when he intervened in a fight between a man and a woman in Florida after dropping his daughter off at school
- The suspect, Raul Lionel Vazquez, 26, was out on bond for a previous aggravated assault charge and now faces second-degree murder charges
- Daryl Hill’s wife described him as a caring family man who was “adored” by their 10-year-old daughter
A dad in Florida was shot and killed as he tried to break up a fight after dropping his daughter off at school, police have said.
According to CBS affiliate WKMG, Daryl Hill was riding a bicycle near the city of Apopka, an Orlando suburb, after taking his 10-year-old daughter to Wolf Lake Elementary School on the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 11 — her first day back after summer break.
He saw a man — allegedly Raul Lionel Vazquez, 26 — and a woman fighting in a pickup truck and stopped to intervene, per an affidavit for a warrant seen by PEOPLE.
Det. Christopher Gilberti from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office claimed the man removed the woman from the truck and began shouting in her face, prompting Hill to step in. A fight between the men then broke out, with the woman joining in to defend Vazquez.
Credit: GoFundMe
The three then went into the bushes nearby, with witnesses telling police that Hill came out with his hands up and called for help before Vazquez shot him when he tried to leave the scene.
One witness, Ryan Harper, told WKMG that he and his wife were driving their children to school when they saw a line of cars and suddenly heard a “loud bang.”
He described seeing a body lying in the roadway as “pretty traumatizing.”
“Not the best way of going back to school on day one … I think everybody’s shaken up by it,” he added.
The Orange County Fire Rescue took Hill to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries, per the affidavit.
Vazquez told police he was being attacked, but witnesses said Hill was unarmed and wasn’t a threat.
Vazquez was arrested later on Tuesday and appeared in court the following day, per WKMG.
According to Ninth Circuit State Attorney’s Office records, a hearing is set for Monday, Aug. 17 and he faces a charge of second-degree murder with a firearm.
According to the affidavit, Vazquez was out on bond after previously being charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Hill’s wife of 17 years, Suzanne, told WKMG that she was “heartbroken” over her husband’s death. She explained that she wanted to “keep my daughter around some level of normalcy and yet remember her daddy, who she adored.”
She said she wanted Vazquez to “suffer” for his actions before turning her attention to her husband and his character.
“Behind the laughter and fun was a warm, caring, and sincere person who really loved people, especially his family,” she told WKMG.
A family friend set up a verified GoFundMe to support Suzanne. “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,” they wrote.
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“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.”
PEOPLE reached out to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Ninth Circuit State Attorney’s Office for comment but did not immediately hear back.
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