Former NASCAR driver Robert “Bobby” East was fatally stabbed Wednesday at a Southern California gas station, authorities stated.
The suspect in the stabbing was killed two days later in an encounter with police who tried to arrest him at an condominium advanced, Westminster police stated.
Police have been referred to as shortly earlier than 6 p.m. to a gas station in Westminster, an Orange County metropolis, and located East with a stab wound to his chest, the division stated in an announcement.
East, 37, was taken to a trauma middle, the place he died of his accidents, officials stated.
Westminster police detectives recognized a parolee from Orange County, Trent William Milsap, because the suspect.
When the West County SWAT Team went to an Anaheim condominium advanced Friday to serve an arrest warrant, Milsap “became confrontational,” a police canine was deployed and Milsap was finally killed in a capturing with police, the division stated.
The motive for the assault that killed East was not identified, police stated Saturday.
Westminster police initially described Milsap as a transient know to frequent resorts in Westminster in addition to in close by Garden Grove and Anaheim. An earlier news launch on the assault spelled the suspect’s final identify as Millsap and stated he was 27.
He was on parole for armed theft and an arrest warrant had been issued for him on an unrelated parole violation, police stated.
In its assertion, Westminster police stated East has been recognized as a former NASCAR driver.
The Westminster division stated East is from San Dimas, a metropolis in jap Los Angeles County.
Early Saturday night NASCAR launched an announcement acknowledging the demise of one in all its personal.
“NASCAR is saddened to be taught of the tragic demise of Bobby East,” the sanctioning body for stock car racing said. “We lengthen our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the household and pals of Bobby, a real racer.”
East raced in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series in 2005, 2007 and 2008, according racing-reference.info, which tracks NASCAR records. He also raced in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series in 2005, 2006 and 2008, the site indicates.
He earned his chops behind the wheel in multiple United States Auto Club, or USAC, races and series. USAC said in a statement Saturday that East won 22 USAC National Midget feature races, took 56 wins overall at USAC-sanctioned races, and has three USAC national titles, the last coming in 2013.
His group at the time was Tony Stewart Racing, run by NASCAR legend Tony Stewart, NASCAR has noted.
He additionally drove for RFK Racing (as soon as referred to as Roush Fenway Racing), which tweeted Saturday, “Our group is extremely unhappy to be taught at the moment’s news about Bobby East.”
“The news of this homicide is Tragic and mistaken,” RFK racing proprietor Brad Keselowski, a NASCAR Cup champion, tweeted. “He and his household have been true racers. Prayers for justice and peace.”
USAC, a sanctioning body for specific racing series such as National Sprint Cars, said East was the son of USAC Hall of Fame car builder Bob East and wife Janice.
Bobby East’s first career triumph with the USAC National Midgets in 2001 made him the organization’s youngest national feature race winner at the time, USAC said. He was 16.
East was born in Torrance, a coastal city in Los Angeles County, but moved to Brownsburg, Indiana, to mount his racing career, USAC said. It’s not clear why he was in Westminster, about 33 miles south of San Dimas.
“Very unhappy to listen to of the tragic incident involving Legend USAC driver Bobby East,” two-time NASCAR champion Todd Bodine tweeted. “He was one heck of a wheelman. Thoughts and prayers to his household.”
The California Attorney General’s Office is tasked by state law with investigating deadly officer-involved shootings.
Cristian Santana and Dustin Long contributed.
