Pizza delivery worker killed as he tries to help 76-year-old under attack, CA cops say
A pizza delivery man who police believe may have stopped to help a 76-year-old man under attack was shot and killed in California, officials said.
When deputies arrived on scene, they found Juan Cristalinas, 49, and a 76-year-old man “in the street with gunshot wounds” on Tuesday, June 28, in the 7000 block of Lessue Avenue in Stanton, a news release from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said.
Both victims were transported to the hospital, where Cristalinas, of Santa Ana, was pronounced dead, police said.
“This is a tragic incident,” Sgt. Todd Hylton told NBC4. “It appears that the pizza delivery man, Mr. Cristalinas, was trying to be a good Samaritan and lost his life trying to assist another person.”
“He was the kind of person who always stood up for others and wasn’t scared of doing the right thing,” a GoFundMe account to raise money for the family of Cristalinas said. “Although we are proud of how brave his last act of kindness is, we are all devastated and completely broken with this loss.”
The 76-year-old victim was in stable condition, according to NBC4.
Witnesses told police they believed there were four male suspects, officials said, who fled before police arrived.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau and North Gang Enforcement Team are investigating if the 76-year-old victim knew the suspects, police said.
Police ask for anyone with information to contact them at 714-647-7000. To offer an anonymous tip, call 1-855-TIP-OCCS.
Stanton is about seven miles west of Anaheim.
This story was originally published June 29, 2022 at 4:31 PM with the headline "Pizza delivery worker killed as he tries to help 76-year-old under attack, CA cops say."
