Most people go about their workday not expecting anything too exciting or out of the ordinary to happen. So understandably, when a Domino’s employee walked up to a house to deliver a pizza one day, probably the last thing he expected is that it would end in him saving a life.
It was just another ordinary day of delivering pizzas for Joey Grundl, a Domino’s Pizza employee from Waldo, Wisconsin.
His next stop was at a woman’s house and as he rang the bell, a man named Dean Hoffman opened the door to receive the pie. It was during this moment that Grundl noticed a middle-aged woman’s silent cry for help. Grundl immediately saw her black eye and immediately caught on as she mouthed the words, “Call police.”
In an interview with FOX 6, Grundl recounts the crucial moment he saw the woman’s subtle plead for rescue.
“It’s kind of scary. Gave him his pizza, and noticed behind him was his girlfriend. She pointed to a black eye that was quite visible. She mouthed the words ‘call police.'”
You’d think Grundl would attempt to communicate back, inquire, or at least initiate a confrontation upon seeing the woman but fortunately, the alert and quick-thinking pizza delivery driver continued to act nonchalantly and proceeded with the transaction.
The minute he got back to his car, Grundl called the police to inform them of what he had just witnessed.
When the police arrived, Dean Hoffman immediately tried to block the door at first but he eventually let them in. Upon seeing the battered woman, they took her to the hospital and consequently arrested Hoffman.
The 57-year-old victim recounts how it all started.
She and Hoffman dated in 2016 and lived together until August of 2018. When they broke up, she moved to a different home. The month after, Hoffman entered her home without knocking. She told him to leave as she tried to phone the police but according to her, Hoffman grabbed the phone from her, pulling her by the waist, and dragged her upstairs.
She also described how Hoffman shoved her, causing her to fall on the stairs. He then pulled her hair, ripped her shirt, and kept trying to drag her upstairs. The victim tried to escape by hitting him in the groin. This was when Hoffman punched her in the face, leaving her with a black eye and a bloody nose. Afterward, he forced her upstairs and tied her hands and feet with a vacuum cleaner power cord. He then proceeded to shove a towel in her mouth to keep her silent.
We can only guess how she managed to convince Hoffman to untie her.
Thankfully, her instincts prompted her to ask Grundl for help when he arrived.
Grundl’s timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Thanks to the woman’s smart move and Grundl’s quick-thinking, police were able to rescue her and arrest the domestic abuser.
No good deed goes unrewarded.
Grundl’s heroic act was all over television. In videos, he was spotted wearing a hoodie from Taylor Swift’s Reputation tour. The singer’s fans immediately jumped to action, tagging Taylor Swift in photos and videos of the hero. It turns out Grundl already had tickets to her show in Washington but when Swift learned about what he did, she arranged to meet him backstage after the concert.
It takes more than tickets and a meet and greet to thank a hero for his courage, but Grundl looks beyond satisfied with the unexpected surprise he received.
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Grundl probably never expected to save a life while delivering pizzas – but it’s a good thing he was there that day. Watch the video below to see an interview with the Domino’s hero!
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