Good Samaritan dies trying to help homeless man in Rancho Cucamonga

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (KABC) -- A Good Samaritan who came to the aid of a homeless man was stabbed and killed in Rancho Cucamonga Sunday.

In the parking lot where 40-year-old Donnie Reed was fatally stabbed, family and friends gathered to remember the father of three Monday.

Reed, his friends and his cousin played pool Saturday night at a sports bar on the 8900 block of Foothill Boulevard. After closing time around 2:25 a.m., they saw another group of guys harassing a homeless man in the parking lot. That's when Reed intervened.

"Donnie told him to knock it off, he said 'just go home, this guy didn't do anything to you,'" said Reed's friend, Lucky Hughes. "They started arguing back and forth. The guy came up, pulled out a knife as he was running up, and stabbed him in the chest."

Reed was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His best friend was stabbed in the back of his neck and survived. The suspects fled and have not been caught.

Reed's wife Jenny, his high school sweetheart, held back tears as she thanked everyone for their support.

"He's not a fighter. He was trying to help somebody, and this is what happened to him for doing something he would have done for anybody," said Jenny.

Those who knew Reed say he made friends with everyone and would give you his last dollar if you needed it. Reed's brother, Andrew, says by resorting to violence, the suspects proved nothing and have left a 5-year-old boy and his older brother and sister without a father.

"You don't go around just taking people's lives just because you feel like it," said Andrew. "This is more devastation than my family's needed to see."

The Reed family has set up fund to help pay for funeral expenses. For more information, visit www.gofundme.com/DonnieReed.

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Homicide detectives are investigating the stabbing case.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to contact the Homicide Detail, Detective Daniel Hanke or Sergeant Trevis Newport, at (909) 387-3589. Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to call the We-tip Hotline at (800) 78-CRIME or leave information on the We-Tip Hotline at wetip.com.