Dramatic moment Good Samaritan tackles customer who 'battered and spat at Indiana Subway worker over a sandwich' - as hero is rewarded with free food for life

A Good Samaritan intervened and tackled a brazen attacker who had allegedly battered and spat at an employee at an Indiana Subway restaurant. 

Gabriel Pitzulo, 23, managed to keep the alleged assailant pinned on the ground for eight minutes until law enforcement authorities were called to the Subway store in Indianapolis. 

The incredible moment was captured on the store's surveillance camera, showing the brave former high school wrestler charging at the attacker and successfully taking him down. 

The belligerent customer, later identified as Daniel Saunders, 31, was charged with one count of battery resulting in bodily injury, as reported by WFSB. 

The Subway store manager decided to grant Pitzulo free sandwiches for life as a token of appreciation for his heroic action on March 22.  

Gabriel Pitzulo, 23, intervened and tackled a brazen attacker who had battered and spat at an employee at an Indiana Subway restaurant

The incredible moment was captured on the store's surveillance camera, showing the brave former high school wrestler charging at the attacker and successfully taking him down

Pitzulo, 23, managed to keep the assailant pinned on the ground for eight minutes until law enforcement authorities were called to the Subway store in Indianapolis

Pitzulo was walking into the sandwich shop on his lunch break last month when he heard someone in the store shouting loudly, he told Fox & Friends First. 

He said: 'It was just another normal day at work, I was going to where I go all the time. As I walk in, it was pretty hectic. People yelling, it was kind of loud.' 

The former high school wrestler and football player said he saw Saunders allegedly throwing something at a female employee behind the counter. 

The brazen attacker then allegedly spat at the employee as a crowd of customers watched. 

'I had heard it from outside. I walked in, and he was visibly assaulting, throwing stuff. I believe I saw him spit at her, and how I was raised, you don't do that stuff. It was kind of go time from there,' Pitzulo said. 

Pitzulo, who now works as a welder, quickly tackled the alleged assailant and pinned him on the floor, as shown in surveillance footage. 

The 23-year-old said he wanted to stop the attacker from hurting the female employee. 

'She didn't seem like she could defend herself in any such way. … She had said that he had threatened to kill her. I did combat sports for quite a while, so I was completely controlling. 

'I didn't want to punch him or anything. I didn't want to hurt him too bad. So, I just held him,' Pitzulo said. 

'It wasn't cool,' he said, adding that there were 'some words back and forth' between him and the suspect while others called police. 

Pitzulo was walking into the sandwich shop on his lunch break last month when he heard someone in the store shouting loudly

Pitzulo, who now works as a welder, quickly tackled the assailant and pinned him on the floor, as shown in surveillance footage

Th store manager said Saunders had been in the restaurant for all week, using bathroom and asking for free food

'The cops got there. I helped him put the cuffs on, and they thanked me and told me what I did was very brave,' he said. 

The video of Pitzulo's heroic intervention has circulated on social media, and the young man expressed his hope that it will inspire others to step up when innocent people are being targeted. 

'I haven't really been turning down interviews because I do want to get this out there for the young men. 

'There's a lot of talk nowadays of toxic masculinity, and I'm really trying to, you know, push this narrative that you should stand up for the people, innocent people, people in your local neighborhood. That's kind of what I take from it.' 

'I advise anybody to stick up for, you know, to do what's right. And to help people around you,' he said. 

Saunders was charged with battery injury, battery resulting in bodily injury and disorderly conduct-fighting/tumultuous conduct, according to police records. 

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Indianapolis Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff's Office for further information. 

Aarij Kham, the Indianapolis district manager of Subway, expressed gratitude to Pitzulo for his courageous actions and recounted what had happened in a statement. 

He said Saunders had been in the restaurant for all week, using bathroom and asking for free food. 

Aarij Kham, the Indianapolis district manager of Subway, expressed gratitude to Pitzulo for his courageous actions and recounted what had happened in a statement

'The man in the video was there all week and we let him use the bathroom, gave him free food, made sure he was taken care of as we always do.' 

'When he came in I was at another store but he asked for more free food and my employee said no at the time because he was drunk. 

'He had three to four bottles of Hennessey on him that I later disposed of after the cops arrived. He got aggravated when she told him to leave and he threw stuff at her and did assault her – they were able to take photos of the mark on her face.

'Gabriel was the only one who walked in and he stepped into action and did what anyone should do. Gabriel was on him for seven to eight minutes and once the cops showed up, it took four to five cops to restrain him.

'I told Gabriel that as long as I'm working here he can get free Subway from me or my manager,' Kham said.