ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A 22-year-old man was fatally shot Saturday less than an hour after intervening when he saw a man abusing his girlfriend, according to witness accounts included in the Orange County Sheriff's Office arrest report.
George Becker, 22, was visiting a friend at a neighboring home to the suspect on Sackett Circle when witnesses say they saw Raymond Pagan, 20, becoming physical with his girlfriend around 2:30 a.m.
Becker took issue with the abuse, according to the report, and tried to intervene. When Becker confronted Pagan, the two began fighting, witnesses said. After the fight broke up, Becker returned to his friend's home and went inside, according to the report.
"He defended her from getting hurt more and more," said Becker's sister, Karissa Brooks.
A witness told deputies that, about 30 minutes after the altercation ended, she walked into the garage of the home Becker was visiting and saw Pagan with a long rifle in his hands. She said Pagan told her, "I'll shoot you, too" and she shut the door to the home and alerted the other people inside that Pagan was outside with a firearm.
Witnesses said they went into the garage and found Pagan there "without consent of the (home) owners." He pointed the rifle at Becker and pulled the trigger but the weapon jammed, according to the report. Investigators said Pagan's AR-15 jammed because it had two rounds in the chamber. Becker took the AR-15 from Pagan, but Pagan pulled out a handgun and shot Becker several times, witnesses said.
Pagan and his girlfriend fled in her SUV but later returned to the scene and were taken into custody, according to the report.
Becker was taken to Health Central, where he died at 4:15 a.m., deputies said.
Video surveillance captured the struggle and the shooting, which were consistent with witness accounts, according to the report.
Pagan has been charged with first-degree murder with a firearm, attempted first-degree murder with a firearm and burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault/battery with a firearm. During a first appearance, a judge denied his bail.
On Saturday, deputies were seen roping off a section of Satchell Court. Investigators also collected two guns, including a long rifle, from a house.
Becker is survived by his two young children -- a 4-year-old and a 5-month-old -- and his fiancée, according to his family.
"I don’t want anybody to have to go through the pain that I’m going through," said Becker's fiancée, Brittanie Howard. "I just hope he can get some kind of justice because it was so wrong."
Becker's mother and sister said they weren't surprised he stepped in when he saw a woman in trouble.
Becker's mother told News 6 her son died a hero and he will forever be missed.
"If he saw someone doing wrong, he would jump in and intervene. He did not like for a man to hit a woman or a child," Jenni Brooks said.
Family members said they don't advise other people to jump in and intervene in similar situations.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help pay for Becker's funeral expenses.