Former NFL player turned Hyattsville restaurateur shot during robbery attempt

On November 7, 2024By Littum

Tobias Dorzon, a former NFL player turned chef and restaurateur, was one of two people shot Tuesday night during an attempted robbery in Prince George’s County, Maryland, according to a county councilman.

Chef Tobias Dorzon in May 2024 speaks for the Prince George’s County Council and calls on local leaders to support restaurateurs. (WTOP/John Domen)

“Such a horrific act could not have happened to a better person. I send my deepest condolences to him and the other victim, as well as their families and friends, and I wish them both a speedy recovery. We have no place for this kind of senseless violence in our district or our county,” County Councilwoman Wanika Fisher said in a statement.

WTOP has reached out to police for more details about the shooting, including where and when it happened and how seriously the victims were injured.

According to Fisher, the shooting happened Tuesday night in her district — District 2 — which is in the northwest corner of the county and includes Hyattsville and other communities.

Dorzon is a highly acclaimed chef who owns and operates two restaurants in Hyattsville – Huncho House and 1123 By Chef Tobias. He has appeared in several food-centric reality television shows, such as Chopped, Tournament of Champions, and Guy’s Grocery Games.

“Especially just for an incident like this to happen to someone like Chef Tobias, who is a member of the community, a leader, a very well-known individual, it just shakes people’s view of safety,” Fisher told WTOP.

Earlier this year, Dorzon became the first Prince George’s County native to win Chef of the Year from the Restaurant Association of Maryland.

“He’s had such an impact. Tobias has been a catalyst for change. He’s really taken University Town Center to the next level,” Fisher said. “We were really in this prosperous time, I would say, a revitalizing time for that side of Hyattsville, and I’m very proud of the work we do together. But this incident with him in a place that he chooses not only to work but to live and call home is just heartbreaking.”

Get the latest news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.