Not all heroic deeds have happy endings. Sometimes, they result in tragedy.

Southern California resident Troy Cansler, 47, is no doubt a hero. After witnessing the stabbing of a woman who was holding her toddler in a grocery store parking lot on Sunday evening, Cansler intervened. The attacker ran off with the woman's purse and then stabbed Cansler, who had given chase. Cansler died from his injuries.

The woman, Krystina Hanrahan, is now recovering at home. She was stabbed five times, twice in the arm and three times in the chest. The child was apparently unhurt.

Speaking to KTLA-TV about the incident, Hanrahan said, "He was an angel, I mean, I talked to his mother today and I told her, 'I thank you so much for raising somebody that would put their life on the line for — he had no idea who I was."

Cansler's 12-year-old daughter, Jordyn Glazier, told KTLA-TV, "I'm very proud. He was everything I could ask for in a dad. Everything and more."

Speaking to CBS-Los Angeles, Jordyn said, "He died a hero, knowing that he did something good, and that he saved two people, not only one, by taking his own life. And that’s the ultimate thing you can do."

A suspect was arrested and booked on charges of murder and attempted murder. The man, 26-year-old Vincent Alex DeLeon, has pleaded not guilty.

Follow Mike Krumboltz on Twitter (@mikekrumboltz).