Celebrity chef and former pro football player Tobias Dorzon was one of two people shot during a robbery attempt Tuesday night in Hyattsville, Md., authorities confirmed Wednesday.
The shooting occurred at around 10:15 p.m. on the 2500 block of Kirkwood Place in the Washington, D.C. suburb. In a statement on social media, Hyattsville Police said they initially believed four suspects “attempted to rob a man and woman as they returned from dinner.”
Dorzon and the woman both suffered gunshot wounds and were taken to a hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening. The identity of the woman has not been confirmed by police.
Authorities on Wednesday said they were now looking for five suspects spotted in a white SUV with a sunroof. Four of those men wore black jackets and were armed with guns. Three had semi-automatic handguns, while a fourth carried a short-barreled rifle. Cops said they were still working on a description of the fifth suspect.
In a statement on Wednesday, Prince George’s County Council Member Wanika Fisher called the shooting a “horrible act” that “couldn’t have happened to a better person.”
Fisher — who earlier this year honored Dorzon with a proclamation after he was named 2024’s Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Maryland — referred to him as “a good friend” and wished both victims a speedy recovery.
Dorzon, 39, is the chef and owner of Huncho House in Hyattsville, just northeast of D.C. and minutes away from his hometown of Riverdale. TV foodies have come to know him from his many appearances on the Food Network, including recently competing on “Tournament of Champions” and “Last Bite Hotel,” and judging on “Guy’s Grocery Games.” He also hosts “Timeout with Tobias,” streaming on ESPN+ and Hulu.
Prior to gaining stardom in the culinary world, Dorzon had a brief professional football career as a running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans. In 2012, during the off-season, he enrolled in culinary school at the Art Institute of Washington. He said he had grown up cooking and spent time working in his father’s West African restaurant as a child.
He eventually left football behind and began operating a successful food truck. He has since become a sought-after caterer for celebrities, and helped opened NBA star James Harden’s Thirteen restaurant in Houston.
Council Member Fisher called Dorzon a valued member of her community and said she hopes to see “those responsible for this heinous act held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
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