Gabriel Pitzulo Indianapolis Subway customer hailed a hero after tackling man being verbally and physically abusive to a fast food worker.
A frequent goer at an Indiana Subway franchise has been hailed a hero after video captured the moment the Good Samaritan tackled a customer being verbally and physically abusive towards a fast food worker.
‘It was just another normal day at work, I was going to my local Subway where I go all the time,’ Gabriel Pitzulo explained on Fox and Friends. ‘As I walk in, it was pretty hectic. People yelling, it was kind of loud.’
In the March 22 incident, which was caught on store surveillance video, Pitzulo said the attacker threw something at the employee along with spitting on her. That’s when the former high school wrestler fearing matters could escalate tackled the suspect and held him to the ground while bystanders locked the door and called police.
‘It wasn’t cool,’
‘It wasn’t cool,’ Pitzulo said, adding there were ‘some words back and forth’ between him and the suspect for about three minutes until cops arrived.
‘The cops got there. I helped him put the cuffs on, and they thanked me and told me what I did was very brave,’ he said.
Continued Pitzulo: ‘I haven’t really been turning down interviews because I do want to get this out there for the young men. There’s a lot of talk nowadays of toxic masculinity, and I’m really trying to, you know, push this narrative that you should stand up for the people, innocent people, people in your local neighborhood. And, you know, that’s kind of what I take from it,’
Adding, ‘How I was raised, you don’t do that stuff. It was kind of go time from there.’
‘I didn’t want to punch him, or hurt him too bad.’
The suspect, Daniel Saunders, was charged with battery injury, battery resulting in bodily injury and disorderly conduct-fighting/tumultuous conduct, according to police records.
Keeping workers safe
Aara Khan, the district manager for the Subway location, told WRTV he was thankful that there was someone there to keep his employees safe.
‘It could’ve turned out very dangerous,’ Khan told WRTV. ‘Luckily he was here at the right time and the right place.’
The manager said Saunders had been loitering at the restaurant all week, using bathroom and asking for free food.
‘The man in the video was there all week and we let him use the bathroom, gave him free food, made sure he was taken care of as we always do,’ Khan said.
‘When he came in I was at another store but he asked for more free food and my employee said no at the time because he was drunk.’
It remained unclear what operatives the manager would be taking, in the future to keep his fast food employees safe along with tending to the transitory clientele.
Pitzulo who denies he is a hero has since been offered free food at Subway for life.
