DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A pizza delivery man is in the hospital a day after he was shot during an attempted robbery in Deerfield Beach.
Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to reports of the robbery and shooting along the 500 block of Northeast 41st Street, at around 9:50 p.m., Wednesday.
According to BSO, the victim, later identified as David Orcutt, is a Pizza Hut delivery person.
Fire rescue crews transported the 40-year-old to Broward Health North Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
7News spoke to the victim’s father over the phone and said one bullet hit his son’s hip and then went into his other leg. The father said they are waiting to see if there is any permanent damage to his legs.
According to Joanne Orcutt, the victim’s mother, the gunman was among a group of men who confronted him and later shot him multiple times.
They wanted the pizza, but the victim refused to give it up.
“He’s just trying to earn a living. You wonder what possesses someone to shoot someone for a box of pizza. It’s just a very sad situation. I know there’s desperate people but this seems really unbelievable,” Orcutt said. “I just heard that he walked away from them and they shot him, twice or three times in the leg. He was just trying to earn a living.”
Earl Saunders, a security guard who works in the complex, said the initial order was a set up to rob the delivery man. However, he said the suspects got away empty-handed.
“Called the pizza guy to deliver a pizza, he delivered the pizza, and they set him up to rob him, like three-to-four teenagers. They robbed him for a pizza,” Saunders said. “They didn’t get no money. They didn’t get the pizza. Nothing. Just senseless, senseless act of violence for no reason.”
Robbery detectives are investigating the incident.
“You hear about this happening to people, and you just think it could never come so close to home,” Orcutt said.
Orcutt said the delivery job is one of two jobs her son works to provide for his 8-year-old daughter.
“Please, if you know anything — you don’t want your children or your brother or your husband doing something like this to somebody else again,” Orcutt said. “He could’ve died. It could’ve been a fatal wound. I’m very thankful that it wasn’t. The Lord had His hand on him and protected him, but the next person might not be so lucky. Please stop it before it’s too late for the next person.”
If you have any information on this attempted robbery, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
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