MANASSAS, Va. — Mario Benitez was out making deliveries for DoorDash when he learned that a fellow driver had been killed. Yusuf Ozgur, a 56-year-old father of two, was gunned down as he held a door open for two masked men, fleeing the scene of a robbery, according to police.
Police said shortly before 2:30 a.m., two armed men entered a Denny's on Sudley Road in Manassas, demanding phones and wallets from employees and customers, before shooting two men.
"You said Manassas, and I couldn’t believe it," Benitez said. "That’s really close to where I live, and I’ve done some deliveries there. It makes me think, maybe I do need to take more precautions."
Benitez has only been driving for DoorDash since June, but he said Thursday's deadly robbery has him thinking twice about accepting deliveries in the area.
The first victim, a 34-year-old man from Rixeyville, was shot while sitting on the floor and complying with the suspects' orders, said police. He was later taken to a nearby hospital where he was treated for serious injuries, but is expected to survive.
As the suspects were leaving the restaurant after the robbery, Ozgur was walking in to pick up a DoorDash order, and unknowingly held the door open for the thieves. Police said one suspect hit Ozgur over the head with a baton, before the other suspect shot Ogzur. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
"As a driver, usually you don’t really encounter many problems...and especially not restaurants," Benitez said.
In June, just after Benitez started with the delivery service, DoorDash began offering occupational accident insurance at no cost to drivers, a spokesperson said. The insurance covers medical expenses, some disability pay, and provides survivor payments after tragedies like this.
"Our thoughts are with his family, friends and loved ones and we are reaching out to his family to offer our full support during this difficult time," the DoorDash spokesperson said.
There were 23 people in Denny's at the time of the robbery, including customers and employees, and Prince William County Police Chief Barry Bernard said no one resisted the suspects' orders.
"Nobody did anything but cooperate," Bernard said. "They shoot two people, and one was murdered."
Benitez said he hadn't previously considered carrying a weapon while making deliveries.
"I probably should, like pepper spray, but I don’t think I’d ever consider carrying a gun," he said.
A DoorDash spokesperson said that drivers are required to follow the laws and regulations for weapons of the city and state in which they deliver. In Virginia, those with a permit could carry a gun or use pepper spray in self defense.
Police believe the two men who robbed the Denny's are black and in their late teens or early 20's. They are both believed to be between 5-foot-10-inches and 6-foot in height. They were last seen wearing all black or dark clothing.
An FBI reward of $10,000 has been offered for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individuals involved in the incident.
Police said that armed robberies have happened recently at a bowling alley and hotel in the same area.
