A gentle Uber Eats driver has been killed in Illinois by a trio of 'oxygen-wasting' criminals who left him lying in the street.
Daniel Figueroa, 28, was violently killed at about 2am on Monday morning as he delivered food to a Chicago hospital.
A trio of unnamed suspects attempted to steal his van parked nearby, and the encounter quickly turned deadly when Figueroa returned, according to WGN 9.
Chicago Police told the Daily Mail that one 'person of interest' has been taken into custody. No charges have been filed.
It's unclear how Figueroa died, but he was found with injuries to his 'head and body', according to local media.
Police said that Figueroa was delivering food to a doctor at Loretto Hospital. The doctor ventured out to collect the meal only to find Figueroa lying on the street.
Surveillance footage showed that Figueroa had already made the delivery, and was walking back to his van when three people attempted to steal the vehicle.
As Figueroa opened the door, the thieves 'dragged' him for around half a block before fleeing. Figueroa, who was a stepfather, was later pronounced dead in hospital.
His father, Carlos Figueroa, shared his devastation at the news and said: 'He was my youngest son, and now I have to bury him because someone decided to take his life'
Police told the outlet that Figueroa was delivering food to a doctor at the hospital, who ventured out to the young man's nearby location only to find him lying on the street
CWB Chicago described the incident as 'a gut-wrenching story about the Uber Eats driver killed this morning by cowardly, oxygen-wasting criminals on the West Side.'
The delivery driver's heartbroken father, Carlos Figueroa opened up to WGN about the trauma of losing his son to a mindless act of violence.
'He was my youngest son, and now I have to bury him because someone decided to take his life,' he said.
'He was on his way home. This was going to be his last stop... I hope my son didn't suffer. He didn't deserve this. Not one bit. He was a good kid.'
Figueroa had been working for Uber Eats to earn some extra money on top of his day job as an Amazon delivery driver.
He was the main provider for his home with his girlfriend, Sandra Guerrero, and her son, according to Guerrero.
'His passing has left not only an emotional void but also a sudden financial burden that I never expected to face,' Guerrero wrote on a GoFundMe page.
Guerrero was supposed to be celebrating her son's birthday, but is now overwhelmed by grief.
'I shouldn't have to picture my boyfriend like that,' she tearfully told ABC 7. '(He was) somebody who I wanted to marry.'
Guerrero was last seen Figueroa on Sunday night, but he never made it home after working tirelessly to provide for his family.
Figueroa was the main provider for his home with his girlfriend, Sandra Guerrero, and her son
'I didn't get no talks or no call from him until his mom reached out to me at seven in the morning saying he had passed away,' she continued.
Guerrero said that her boyfriend was set to celebrate her son's birthday with them, with a 'whole day planned out'.
'I just can't believe it right now,' she added, describing Figueroa as a family man who treated her son as his own.
'I'm confused. I'm lost. I'm sad. I don't know what to do,' Guerrero added.
Figueroa's father told WGN that his son was 'just trying to do something for himself out there.'
'I'm hollow inside. I don't know what to do. I have to deal with this now for the rest of my life,' he added.
'My heart's broken. As a parent, I don't wish this upon anybody, and I don't know what to do from here.'
Loretto Hospital said in a statement to the outlet: 'On behalf of Loretto Hospital, our prayers and condolences go out to the individual's family and loved ones.
'Our focus remains on supporting the safety, health, and well-being of the community we serve during this difficult time.'
'My heart's broken. As a parent, I don't wish this upon anybody, and I don't know what to do from here,' Figueroa's father Carlos said
Uber said in a statement to WGN: 'We're incredibly saddened by this tragic loss, and our thoughts are with their family and loved ones as they navigate this unimaginably difficult time.
'We've reached out to police and will assist them however we can.'
Police are investigating Figueroa's death as a homicide.
Sources told the WGN that two women and one man were seen on security footage getting into Figueroa's van in the moments before he died.
A woman was in custody for questioning as of Monday afternoon, sources told the outlet, but none of the suspects have been publicly identified.
'This way, there can be some kind of justice for my son, and he didn't die in vain,' Figueroa's dad said.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Chicago Police for more information.