Authorities in Westminster, California, have shot and killed the primary suspect in the fatal stabbing of former NASCAR driver Bobby East.
The U.S. Auto Club (USAC) national champion Bobby East was killed on Wednesday while getting gasoline 40 minutes outside of Los Angeles. He was allegedly stabbed by a homeless man named Trent William Millsap. Fox News reported that on Friday, local police killed Millsap in a shooting while attempting to apprehend him.
On Saturday, Westminster police issued a press release saying that a “West County SWAT Team responded to serve a search/arrest warrant for the suspect. During the service of the search warrant, an officer involved shooting took place.”
Westminster Police told the media that East “was found on the ground suffering from a serious stab wound to the chest area,” on Wednesday.
“Officers attempted life-saving measures until OCFA paramedics arrived and transported the victim to a local trauma center, where the victim succumbed to his injury,” police added.
Millsap was a transient with a face and neck full of tattoos who frequented the area, police noted. The victim raced in dozens of NASCAR national touring series races between 2005 and 2008 and had two top 10s in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Front Stretch reported.
East is the son of legendary car builder Bob East. The beloved driver was mourned by fans and fellow drivers via social media.
USAC Racing issued a press release, hailing East as being “phenomenal in USAC National Sprint Cars as well, most notably on pavement track.”
“He tallied 15 wins in the series, with the first coming in 2003 at Ohio’s Mansfield Motorsports Speedway. He also prevailed at the Milwaukee Mile in 2005 in what remains as the last USAC Sprint Car race held on a one-mile track,” the press release added.
“Very sad to hear of the tragic incident involving Legend USAC driver Bobby East. He was one heck of a wheelman. Thoughts and prayers to his family,” Todd Bodine, an analyst for Fox Sports and two-time NASCAR champion said in a statement.
Californians have been dealing with increasing dangerous crime, largely due to soft-on-crime policies in major cities, specifically in nearby Los Angeles.
Amanda Prestigiacomo contributed to this report.