A good Samaritan who was handing out $20 bills and paying for customer's meals at a Waffle House in Florida was fatally shot this past weekend after an altercation with a woman escalated, police said.
Ezekiel Hicks, 25, was arrested on murder charges early Sunday in connection with the fatal shooting of Craig Brewer. According to the Alachua County Sheriff's Department, Brewer began arguing with the suspect's female acquaintance, who reportedly became upset the victim did not offer to pay for her food.
Hicks and Brewer then began exchanging words and got into a brief physical altercation, police said. Hicks then exited the Waffle House and retrieved a 9mm Glock pistol, and returned to the restaurant moments later. The suspect and the victim got into another altercation that "lasted only a few seconds" and ended with Hicks allegedly firing multiple rounds into the victim.
Brewer was later pronounced dead at the scene.
"This is an individual that has a family and how this went from something that could have been good to something so tragic so fast, we simply have to find that out," Lt. Brett Rhodenizer, public information officer for the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office told Fox 35 Orlando.
The incident was captured by the restaurant's surveillance footage. Hicks was arrested in the Waffle House parking lot where he admitted to shooting Brewer, according to the Alachua County Sheriff's Department. Investigators say they're examining the possibility the victim and the suspect or his female acquaintance may have had a prior issue together.
Hicks is currently being held without bail on charges of premeditated murder in the first degree and carrying an unlicensed firearm.
Photo: Alachua County Sheriff's Department