Daryl Hill, Apopka, Florida dad shot & killed trying to intervene in fight between couple on Orange County road only for Raul Lionel Vazquez to shoot father of 3 dead. Suspect had been facing trial on 2 other gun related charges.
A Florida dad was shot and killed trying to break up a heated argument between a man and a woman moments after having dropped off his 10-year-old daughter at her first day of school.
Daryl Hill, 56, of Apopka was fatally shot Tuesday morning after stopping at a crash scene near Plymouth Sorrento and West Ponkan roads after spotting a couple fighting, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The father of three was ‘simply trying to help someone who appeared to be in distress’ when he was gunned down,’ police said according to FOX35.
Suspect was already facing charges in seperate deadly weapon case
Raul Lionel Vazquez, 26, the alleged shooter was arrested at the scene and charged with second-degree murder in the ‘senseless’ killing of the father-of-three.
At the time of his arrest, Vazquez was already free on bond in a separate aggravated assault with a deadly weapon case. During his court appearance, the judge revoked that bond and ordered him held without bond in that case as well.
Vazquez had also been arrested in May 2024 and March 2025. The State Attorney’s Office said prosecutors were unable to move forward with those cases because the alleged victim was unavailable or unwilling to cooperate.
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.
Heated confrontation between couple turns deadly after bystander attempts to intervene
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 came upon the scene as Vazquez was allegedly yelling in the woman’s face and proceeding to attack her, leading to him getting off his bike and attempting to separate the fighting pair.
At some point the three tumbled into some bushes. After getting back up, Hill ran away as Vazquez allegedly grabbed a shotgun from the back of the truck, arrest documents stated.
Hill, still running with his hands raised, was screaming ‘Help!’ when a shot rang out, sending the father of three crashing face-first to the ground, according to police.
‘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.
‘He saw someone who needed help and stepped in.’
‘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.’
Added Suzanne, ‘He saw someone who needed help and stepped in.’
Hill leaves behind two adult sons and his 10-year-old daughter, whom Suzanne called their ‘miracle daughter.’
Read a GoFundMe page lauched on behalf of the father: ‘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.
Organizers are asking for donations to help ease the family’s financial burden, covering funeral and memorial expenses, immediate needs and other costs as they cope with their devastating loss.
‘No amount of money can ease the heartbreak of losing a husband and father, but we hope that together we can surround this family with love and support and help relieve some of the financial burden during this incredibly difficult time,’ it read.
Vazquez remains in the Orange County Jail without bond.
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