Food Network Star Tobias Dorzon Speaks Out After Being Shot 11 Times During Robbery: 'Grateful to Be Here' (Exclusive) By Nicole Acosta

For Tobias Dorzon, the night of Nov. 5, 2024, began like any other date night. Known for his appearances on the Food Network and named 2024 Maryland Chef of the Year, Dorzon, 40, juggles the demands of his two busy restaurants — Huncho House and 1123 by Chef Tobias — while keeping up a standing tradition of biweekly date nights with his long-distance girlfriend, Crystal Swan, who had just flown into town. 

The two decided to treat themselves to dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Northwest D.C. The restaurant wasn’t particularly crowded; only a few people lingered at the bar, likely watching Election night coverage.

After dinner, the couple took a 30-minute Uber ride back to Dorzon’s home in Hyattsville, Md. When the car pulled up, Dorzon noticed another vehicle stop directly behind them. He didn’t think much of it, assuming it would drive around once their Uber moved. But as he stepped out to open the car door for his girlfriend, he saw the back doors of the other car swing open and several people emerge, guns drawn. Moments later, the suspects began shooting. Ironically, it was the one night he had gone out without his security detail.

“I was trying to cover her and then I started getting hit,” Dorzon, also a former NFL player, exclusively recalls to PEOPLE. “I went to the ground and tried to drag myself toward the curb, but I couldn’t hear my girl,” he says, adding everything around him went completely quiet.

He continues, “You got that last second of almost thinking, are you still going to be here? People walking towards you that just shot you multiple times, what are they coming for? Are they coming to kill you? Are they coming to rob you? You really don’t know the end result. I’m just hoping my kids are good.”

Dorzon says the group robbed him of his Audemars Piguet watch and his diamond necklace, among other items. According to charging documents cited by WJLA, authorities said the items stolen were worth about $100,000 altogether and that five suspects later fled the scene in a stolen car. 

“At that point, I’m thinking they’re going to pretty much finish me off,” he says. He could see that his hands were bloody but didn’t realize how badly he had been shot. 

Somehow, he was able to FaceTime his brother, propping his phone on the curb where he was laying to tell him what was happening. Dorzon had been shot 11 times and his girlfriend had also been hit, collapsing on the front lawn. A neighbor called 911, but after that, things got hazy for him.

Authorities later identified one of the suspects as 21-year-old Devin Demetrius Spivey, who faces 18 charges, including attempted first- and second-degree murder, first-degree assault, armed robbery and stalking. 

Spivey has pleaded not guilty, and his attorney, Brendan Callahan, told PEOPLE that the trial is set to begin Dec. 5. “It is still an ongoing investigation and there are numerous other suspects still at large,” Callahan said. “There are many unanswered questions in the case and we are confident that further investigation will reveal that Devin Spivey did not shoot Mr. Dorzon.”

When Dorzon woke up in the hospital, he was told he would likely never walk again after losing all feeling below his left knee. His 39-year-old girlfriend, who also survived, was by his side, offering support as he began the long road to recovery.

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“I really didn’t know what to take from everything,” he tells PEOPLE. “For somebody that just never really been in trouble, I thought coming back home to build something in my hometown, being a hometown hero, something like that could never happen to me.”

He adds, “I ask myself every day, ‘Was I wrong for going out that night? Should I have not went out that night?’ It’s just so many different things that I ask myself, but I’m here. I tell myself every day God got a bigger purpose for me.”

After two months in the hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries and physical therapy, he defied the odds. He continues with physical therapy three days a week, regaining strength and mobility, though he has no feeling in one finger after reconstruction. 

Throughout his recovery, fellow chef and Food Network personality Guy Fieri has supported him, culminating in a February reunion that went viral on Instagram, where Dorzon, walking up to Fieri with a cane, showcased how far he had come.

Dorzon, who has appeared on Fieri’s Guy’s Grocery Games and Tournament of Champions, says, “Even after the shooting, he was constantly on the phone with me checking in, making sure the medical staff were taking care of me, offering to order food for everyone, and just giving me words of encouragement. He’s been here for me the whole time, every step of the way.”

The experience also took an emotional toll on his family, including his two daughters, 19-year-old Riley and 11-year-old Torienne. Dorzon says it was unfortunate that it took such a traumatic event to bring them all closer together, but tragedy also brought triumph. “Ever since that has happened, my family [has] been like glue,” he says. “It’s been a great thing.”

Now, a year later, on Nov. 5, Dorzon is making his return to television with the premiere of Food Network’s Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas. The shooting has changed how he works in the kitchen, as he can’t move as quickly, so he’s focusing more on the details of his dishes, honing his craft in new ways.

“I’m just super grateful to be here, to be in the moment, and to still be able to cook and give people an experience,” he says. “That has always been my biggest focus and my dream, to create a memorable food experience for others.”