Pizza delivery driver shot dead trying to help assault victim

A hero Domino’s Pizza delivery driver was shot dead while dropping off an order in suburban Los Angeles Tuesday night when he tried to help an elderly assault victim.

At around 7:21 p.m., Orange County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 7000 block of Lessue Avenue in Stanton, where they discovered 49-year-old Juan Cristalinas and an unidentified 76-year-old man lying in the street with gunshot wounds.

Both men were taken to a hospital, where Cristalinas was pronounced dead from his injuries.

“Preliminary information indicates Mr. Cristalinas is a pizza delivery driver who may have stopped to assist the other victim during an assault,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

The surviving victim remained hospitalized in stable condition.

“My father in law died trying to do the right thing and unfortunately paid a very high price for it,” Cristalinas’ daughter-in-law wrote in the description of a GoFundMe campaign.

Daniela Trevilla revealed that Cristalinas worked two jobs and spent his weekends moonlighting as a mechanic to help support his family, including his wife, three sons and three grandchildren.

“He was the kind of person who always stood up for others and wasn’t scared of doing the right thing,” the daughter-in-law wrote. “Although we are proud of how brave his last act of kindness is, we are all devastated and completely broken with this loss.”

Cristalinas’ son Ivan Cristalinas told ABC Eyewitness News that although many would describe his father as “scary looking” because of his solid build and bald head, he said he had “the biggest heart.”

Sally Gomez Cox, who had placed the pizza order that Cristlanas was delivering at the time of the shooting, told the outlet she heard what she thought was fireworks going off.

Deputies including a sheriff’s gang enforcement team were searching for four men as potential suspects, who were described as Hispanic or white.

The relationship between the injured victim and suspects is being investigated by the gang unit.