Chef Tobias Dorzon is living what he calls a second chance at life. His world was turned upside down in November last year, when a quiet evening with someone he loved became a night of terror. The Food Network star and 2024 Maryland Chef of the Year, 40, revealed that he had taken time away from his demanding restaurant schedule to spend an evening with his long-distance girlfriend, Crystal Swan, who had flown in to visit.
GettyHe recalled that after dining at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Washington, D.C., the couple returned to his home in Hyattsville, Maryland. Their Uber pulled up just after midnight. As he went to open the door for Swan, another car pulled in behind them, and within seconds, everything changed.
One year after the harrowing incident, he is sharing details. In a candid conversation with People, Dorzon recalls the terrifying moments that followed, when a group of armed men emerged from the car and opened fire.
The Terrifying Moments of the Attack
Getty“It was the one night I went out without my security detail,” Dorzon told People. “I was trying to cover her, and then I started getting hit. I went to the ground and tried to drag myself toward the curb, but I couldn’t hear my girl. Everything went completely quiet.”
The moments that followed are ones Dorzon says he’ll never forget. “You get that last second where you wonder, are you still going to be here?” he recalled.
“People are walking toward you after shooting you multiple times, and you don’t know their intention. Are they coming to kill you? To rob you? You just don’t know. All I could think about was my kids.”
Police documents obtained by WJLA show the suspects made off with Dorzon’s Audemars Piguet watch, a diamond necklace, and other valuables valued at about $100,000 before escaping in a stolen vehicle.
“At that point, I thought they were going to finish me off,” Dorzon told People. His hands were covered in blood, though he hadn’t yet grasped how badly he was hurt, or that he’d been shot 11 times.
Despite his injuries, Dorzon somehow managed to reach for his phone and FaceTime his brother. He propped the device on the curb and tried to explain what had happened. “I just remember thinking, stay awake, don’t close your eyes,” he said.
By then, Dorzon had been shot 11 times. His girlfriend, Swan, had also been hit and collapsed on the lawn. A nearby neighbor called 911 as chaos unfolded. “After that, things just went blank,” Dorzon recalled.
He was rushed to a local hospital, where doctors fought through the night to save him. Looking back, the chef calls his survival nothing short of a miracle. Read the full story on People.
A Chef, Athlete & Fighter
Before becoming one of Maryland’s top chefs, Dorzon spent time in the NFL, where he learned discipline and resilience, qualities that now guide his recovery.
GettyAs he continues to oversee his restaurants, Huncho House and 1123 by Chef Tobias, Dorzon stays focused on returning to the kitchen and doing what he loves most.
“I’ve faced a lot of challenges in life,” he says. “But this one taught me to slow down and appreciate every single day. I’m just grateful to still be here.”
