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WILMINGTON, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A father celebrating his 26th birthday was killed in a shooting after he tried to break up a fight between two women at a popular pizza shop in Wilmington.
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Andres Castellas was celebrating at Red West Pizza in Wilmington Saturday afternoon. He was surrounded by family and friends before the happy celebration quickly took a violent turn.
Police and family say Castellas was trying to deescalate a fight between two women before he was shot by a man who fled on foot. Castellas died at the scene.
“They robbed us of someone,” Maria Rondan, Castellas’ girlfriend, told Eyewitness News. “They took somebody’s father, son and I just don’t understand why.”
Rondan’s daughter Michelle Costa described Castellas as a peaceful person who didn’t like violence. Loved ones say he moved from Colombia about three years ago to provide for his 5-year-old daughter.
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“He was a very happy guy,” Rondan said. “He was the type of a guy that he’ll walk in the room and make you feel special even when you didn’t think that about yourself.”
Castellas’ family and friends want to honor his memory.
“We want him to know that we’re here for him,” Costa said. “We’re always going to be here for him. We’re always going to celebrate him.”
A restaurant employee, a man in his 20s, was also shot. He was taken to a hospital with injuries not life-threatening.
Police say the shooting suspect remains at large.
Castellas’ friends and family have set up a GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral arrangements.
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