A father of nine who was the “heart” of his family was beaten to death in front of his wife and young children in a wild road-rage attack, according to officials.
Jason Elola, 49, had just attended a birthday party for one of his sons Saturday evening when he got into a fight with another driver following a car crash in Castro Valley, California, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office said.
Elola’s wife, Gabrielle, and some of their young kids were in the car at the time, a witness told KRON4.
First responders found Elola — who was also a grandfather of four — with blood gushing from his head, the witness said.
He was rushed to a local hospital but could not be saved.
The other driver initially fled, officials said.
However, Martin Davis Jr., 37, called the California Highway Patrol to say he was the other driver, and returned to the scene, police said.
“Preliminary information indicates that a physical altercation occurred between Elola and Davis following what is believed to be a road rage-related incident,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Davis was arrested and taken to the Santa Rita Jail. It was not immediately clear what charges he faces, and the sheriff’s office did not immediately return requests for more info.
Elola ran a pumpkin patch and Christmas tree farm in Tracy.
He leaves behind wife Gabrielle and their nine children: Maria, Angel, Jordan, Brenden, Liana, Josh, Aiden, Allisandra and Aliyah.
“Jason was the heart of our family — a kind, generous, and loving man who brought laughter and warmth wherever he went,” loved ones said on a fundraiser page.
“Jason was everything to everyone, and his absence is deeply felt by all who knew him.”
He was also well known in the area where he was killed, his sister, Wendy Hernandez, said.
“Castro Valley was where we grew up. Everybody knows everybody in Castro Valley. He knew everybody in this community by first and last name, that was his thing,” the grieving sibling said.
