A pregnant widow shared the haunting final text message from her husband, sent just before he lost his life in a confrontation outside a Scottsdale, Arizona bar earlier this month.
Thomas John “TJ” Pizzitola, aged 29, was discovered unconscious on a sidewalk around 2:15 a.m. on October 11. This followed an incident where he and two companions were ejected from Pattie’s First Avenue Lounge due to disruptive behavior, according to FOX10 Phoenix.
The trio was heading towards their rideshare when one of Pizzitola’s friends reportedly collided with a woman. In response, Drew Meneses, 24, allegedly delivered a sucker punch to Pizzitola, rendering him unconscious.
Krisan Pizzitola, his wife, recounted how she had dropped him off at the bar that night, expecting him to have a good time with friends just weeks before their baby’s arrival.
Thomas John “TJ” Pizzitola, 29, had ventured out for an evening with friends when the tragic event unfolded in the early morning of October 11 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Image courtesy of the Pizzitola Family via FOX10 Phoenix KSAZ)
“I texted him to let him know I was home, and he replied saying he wished I was there but was proud of me for staying in and looking after our baby boy. He also told me he loved me,” Krisan shared with the news outlet.
“That was the last text I ever got from him,” she added.
Pizzitola was rushed to a hospital, though he later died from a fatal brain injury.
On Oct. 22, police arrested five people in connection with his death, including Meneses, who was charged with second-degree murder.
Drew Meneses, 24, was charged with second-degree murder and is being held on $1 million bond. (Scottsdale Police Department / Maricopa County Jail)
Meneses is being held on $1 million bond. He told the court that the incident “was a bad night,” according to the outlet.
“It was not supposed to happen like that at all and there was no malicious intent for that at all,” he said.
Prosecutor Angela Andrews said cellphone video shows Pizzitola “standing with his arms to his side” when Meneses walks “up behind him and essentially sucker punch him in the head,” according to the outlet.
The other suspects include Julius Husser, 27, Tony Becker, 26, and Mark Whitford, 23, all of whom were charged with aggravated assault. Husser and Becker each face an additional charge of assault. A fifth suspect, 27-year-old Krista Molina, was charged with assault and disorderly conduct.
Julius Husser, 27, from left, Tony Becker, 26, and Mark Whitford, 23, and Krista Molina, 27, were all charged in connection with the assault. (Scottsdale Police Department / Maricopa County Jail)
Krisan is due to give birth to a baby boy next month.
“I’m trying so hard not to be so angry at this situation and try to be the strong woman that he thinks that I am,” she told the outlet.
Krisan added that she is going to name the child TJ Vito as a tribute to his late father.
“All he ever wanted to be was the best father ever and the best husband,” she said. “But he wasn’t finished.”
A GoFundMe page for the family said Pizzitola will continue to help others through organ donation.
