A father-to-be was k!lled with a single punch following a brawl outside an Arizona bar mere weeks before his baby was due.
Thomas John “TJ” Pizzitola was found lying unconscious on a sidewalk outside of a bar in Scottsdale around 2:15 a.m. on Oct. 11, the Scottsdale Police Department told The Post.
Pizzitola, 29, and two friends had been kicked out of Pattie’s First Avenue Lounge that night for being rowdy, and while outside, one of the father-to-be’s friends allegedly bumped into a woman, according to court records obtained by Fox10.
The bump sparked an argument that escalated into a fight between the group and five suspects, prosecutors said.
In the melee, 24-year-old Drew Meneses allegedly threw a punch that caused Pizzitola to suffer a fatal brain injury, cops said.
“TJ was hit in the head and fell immediately to the ground,” police said in a statement.
Pizzitola was rushed to the hospital, but ultimately succumbed to his injuries, authorities said.
The five suspects, Julia Husser, 27; Krista Molina, 27; Tony Becker, 26; Mark Whitford, 23; and Meneses were arrested last Wednesday in connection with the deadly bar fight, police confirmed.
Meneses faces second-degree murder charges, while the rest of the crew was booked on varying assault charges, court records showed.
A GoFundMe for Pizzitola said he was expecting a child with his wife, Krisan, in a few weeks when the fatal sucker punch occurred.
Just before he was k!lled, Pizzitola messaged Krisan to tell her he was proud of her, the local outlet reported.
“I texted him that I had gotten home, and he texted me back and said that he wished that I was there … but that he was so proud of me for staying home and taking care of our baby boy and that he loved me,” Krisan told the outlet.
“About 3:30, I saw that his location changed to the emergency room and dropped everything and ran down there in my pajamas,” the grieving widow recalled.
“All he ever wanted to be was the best father ever and the best husband,” Krisan said. “But he wasn’t finished.”
Pizzitola was also able to save five people’s lives through organ donation after the shocking incident, his family recalled.
Meneses told the court at a hearing that he was simply having a “bad night” when he allegedly threw the fatal blow.
“I just, it was a bad night. It was not supposed to happen like that at all, and there was no malicious intent for that at all,” he said.
He is being held on $1 million bail, the outlet reported.
