A 56-year-old man named Daryl Alexander Hill was shot and killed in Apopka, Florida, after attempting to intervene in a roadside altercation. The incident involved a couple, Raul Lionel Vazquez and Kaidy Honaker, following a car crash. Vazquez, who had been previously charged in a separate case, now faces charges of second-degree murder.
Deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office found Hill with a gunshot wound on Tuesday morning. He was transported to the hospital but was declared dead shortly after arrival. Hill is survived by his wife, Suzy Hill, and their 10-year-old daughter.
According to witnesses, the conflict began when Vazquez and Honaker argued inside their truck, crashing into a black Lexus. The argument continued on the sidewalk. Witnesses reported seeing Hill, who approached to help, tackled into the bushes by Vazquez.
The altercation escalated when Vazquez retrieved a shotgun from his truck. He fired a round, hitting Hill as he attempted to escape. In interviews, Vazquez gave multiple accounts of the incident, indicating Hill was overpowering him, according to the affidavit.
Vazquez was already out on bond for a separate aggravated assault case. He had previously been charged with threatening someone with a gun and for a domestic violence incident involving allegations of strangulation.
The Apopka Police Department investigated Vazquez’s earlier charges but did not comment on the bond decision, which rests with the state attorney’s office.