A good Samaritan intervened and attacked a brazen attacker who had allegedly punched and spit on an employee at an Indiana metro restaurant.
Gabriel Pitzulo, 23, managed to keep the alleged attacker pinned to the ground for eight minutes until police authorities were called to the Subway store in Indianapolis.
The incredible moment was captured on the store’s surveillance camera, showing the brave former high school wrestler charging at the attacker and successfully taking him down.
The belligerent customer, later identified as Daniel Saunders, 31, was charged with one count of assault resulting in bodily injury, according to reports. WFSB.
The manager of the Subway store decided to give Pitzulo free sandwiches for life as a token of gratitude for his heroic action on March 22.
Gabriel Pitzulo, 23, intervened and took down a brazen attacker who had punched and spit on an employee at an Indiana metro restaurant.
The incredible moment was captured on the store’s surveillance camera, showing the brave former high school wrestler charging at the attacker and successfully taking him down.
Pitzulo, 23, managed to keep the attacker pinned to the ground for eight minutes until authorities were called to the Subway store in Indianapolis.
Pitzulo was walking into the sandwich shop during his lunch break last month when he heard someone in the store yelling loudly, he said. Fox and his friends first.
He said: “It was just another normal day at work, going where I go all the time.” When I came in, he was quite agitated. “People were screaming, it was a little loud.”
The former high school wrestler and football player said he saw Saunders allegedly throwing something at a female employee behind the counter.
The brazen attacker then allegedly spat on the employee as a crowd of customers looked on.
He had heard it from outside. I walked in and he was visibly assaulting and throwing things. I think I saw him spit on him and the way I was raised, you don’t do those things. From there it was time to start,” Pitzulo said.
Pitzulo, who now works as a welder, quickly tackled the alleged attacker and pinned him to the ground, as shown on surveillance footage.
The 23-year-old said he wanted to prevent the attacker from hurting the employee.
‘He didn’t look like he could defend himself that way. …She had said that he had threatened to kill her. I played combat sports for quite a while, so I had complete control.
“I didn’t want to punch him or anything. I didn’t want to hurt him too much. So I just hugged him,” Pitzulo said.
“It wasn’t good,” he said, adding that there were “some words back and forth” between him and the suspect, while others called the police.
Pitzulo was walking into the sandwich shop during his lunch break last month when he heard someone in the store yelling loudly.
Pitzulo, who now works as a welder, quickly tackled the attacker and pinned him to the ground, as shown in surveillance footage.
The store manager said Saunders had been at the restaurant all week, using the bathroom and asking for free food.
‘The police arrived there. “I helped him put on the handcuffs, they thanked me and told me what I did was very brave,” he said.
The video of Pitzulo’s heroic intervention has circulated on social media and the young man expressed his hope that it will inspire others to step forward when innocent people are attacked.
‘I haven’t really turned down interviews because I want this to come to light for young people.
“There’s a lot of talk about toxic masculinity these days and I’m really trying to push this narrative that you should stand up for people, for innocent people, for people in your local neighborhood. That’s what I get out of it.’
‘I advise anyone who advocates, you know, to do the right thing. And to help the people around you,” she said.
Saunders was charged with battery by assault, assault resulting in bodily injury and disorderly conduct, fighting/tmultuous conduct, according to police records.
DailyMail.com has contacted the Indianapolis Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for more information.
Aarij Kham, Subway district manager in Indianapolis, expressed his gratitude to Pitzulo for his brave actions and recounted what happened in a statement.
He said Saunders had been at the restaurant all week, using the bathroom and asking for free food.
Aarij Kham, Subway district manager in Indianapolis, thanked Pitzulo for his brave actions and recounted what happened in a statement.
“The man in the video was there all week and we allowed him to use the bathroom, gave him free food and made sure he was taken care of like we always do.”
“When he came in, I was in another store, but he asked for more free food and my employee said no at that time because he was drunk.
“I had between three and four bottles of Hennessey, which I then got rid of when the police arrived. “He became upset when she told him to leave and he threw things at her and assaulted her – they were able to take photographs of the mark on her face.
‘Gabriel was the only one who came in and took action and did what anyone should do. Gabriel was on him for seven or eight minutes and once the officers showed up, it took four to five officers to restrain him.
“I told Gabriel that as long as I work here, he or my manager can get the Metro for free,” Kham said.