Gaspar Puch-Tzek Killed: Cook Mistaken For Gang Member Shot At Hog & Rocks

A 22-year-old line cook who was shot when he was mistaken for a gang member outside of popular Mission restaurant, Hog & Rocks, has died, according to The Examiner.

Gaspar Puch-Tzek had just finished a shift on Tuesday at 12:30am, when he stopped for a cigarette with coworkers outside of the restaurant. According to Mission Local, two men approached the group, used a derogatory word for "Surenos" and asked the workers who they claimed. When Puch-Tzek explained that they were not affiliated with any gang, one of the suspects shot him in the face and fled west on 19th Street. On Wednesday, he was pronounced dead at San Francisco General Hospital.

Hog & Rocks owner David Esler said Puch-Tzek had been at the restaurant for about six months and was well-liked by the staff. According to The Examiner, he was also a father of two.

A witness who lives in the building above the restaurant heard two young men ask the cook if he was in a gang. According to the witness, the cook responded, "No, no," before shots were fired, as reported by Mission Mission.

The incident continues a string of violence in the area. Later that day, 29-year-old Edson Lacayo was shot and killed just ten blocks from Hog & Rocks, bringing the city's homicide toll to 34 in 2011, SF Appeal reports. Mission Station police Captain Greg Corrales warned the community of retaliation violence, stemming from the recent murders.