Daryl Alexander Hill, 56, was fatally shot on Tuesday morning (11th August) while attempting to break up a fight after dropping his daughter off for her first day of school at Wolf Lake Elementary in California. Raul Vazquez, 26, is accused of shooting the unarmed father of three and is being held in Orange County jail on a second-degree murder charge.
Good Samaritan's final act
Orange County police described Hill as a “Good Samaritan” trying to help someone who appeared to be in distress. Hill, who was on his motorcycle, noticed two individuals fighting in a Chevy Silverado pick-up truck and rushed to the scene. An eyewitness recalled Hill shouting “help” before he was shot.
After the arrest, Vazquez told investigators that Hill was fighting him and "getting the better of him." Ryan Harper, a fellow school dad, said he saw Hill in the road after hearing a “loud bang.” Harper said: "It's pretty traumatising for us all."
Family's grief and legal proceedings
Hill’s son Damon described his father: "He just loved his fellow person and he was very non-judgmental." Hill’s wife Suzzane, who was tracking his location on her cell phone, said: “When his phone remained in the same position for an hour and he didn't answer it, I went home to check on him, and I saw the crime scene unit... I didn't see the scene, thank God, but I saw the detectives and confirmed my worst nightmare.”
State Attorney Monique Worrell commented on Vazquez’s arrest: “An arrest is not a conviction, and every case must be evaluated based on the evidence available, the participation of witnesses and victims, and the law.”
