CONCORD — A motorist on Highway 4 couldn’t contain his laughter when he noticed a man driving a Chrysler Crossfire next to him keenly resembled Kimbo Slice, the late MMA and media sensation.
Things stopped being funny fast. According to the California Highway Patrol, the Slice lookalike pulled out a gun, followed the other driver for several minutes, and fired a shot into the victim’s vehicle. Then the Crossfire sped off, leaving the victim to tend to a gunshot wound to the leg. He was hospitalized, but survived, authorities said.
The victim in the July 22 shooting later told police that he noticed the suspect’s resemblance to Slice and began to laugh, but that the suspect noticed him laughing and began to trail him. When he looked into the Crossfire again, he realized that the driver was now wearing a ski mask, and the man began firing at that point, according to court records.
Slice, a boxer and MMA fighter, built a professional career out of notoriety for his street fighting prowess, after going viral in several videos of backyard bouts. His distinguishable look, punctuated by a large black beard, became iconic. He died of heart failure in 2016, at age 42.
The suspect apparently sported a similar beard, which also aided police in identifying him. By the early morning of July 24, police had arrested 33-year-old David Milburn on suspicion of assault with a firearm and attempted murder. By then, he’d already allegedly shot a second person in an unrelated shooting on another Contra Costa freeway, court records show.
Authorities allege that on July 23, Milburn fired at a Toyota Avalon near the the Caldecott Tunnel, on Highway 24. This time, the victim was not struck by gunfire, but heard the shot and noticed the Crossfire speeding by, authorities said.
Police tracked Milburn to Vacaville, and attempted to arrest him around 1:30 a.m. on July 24. A CHP news release says he “refused to stop, leading officers on a short pursuit before being arrested without incident,” and that during the chase, he was seen throwing a gun and two large-capacity magazines from the Crossfire.
Milburn was charged with attempted murder, assault with a firearm, and possession of a machine gun. But in court there was another concerning development. On Aug. 6 a judge found sufficient cause to doubt Milburn’s mental competence for trial and ordered doctors to examine him, then compile a report, putting the prosecution on hold for now. A hearing to review the doctor’s report has been set for Oct. 1, court records show.
Before a doubt was declared, Milburn pleaded not guilty, and his bail was set at $2.3 million, records show.
