The Volusia County Sheriff Department arrested a Florida resident the day before the biggest race on the NASCAR schedule, the Daytona 500.
Videos by FanBuzz
According to a post on the Volusia Sheriff's social media account, a man named Adrian Morales sent messages that included video of him shooting rounds from an AR-15 into a body of water. He could be heard repeatedly saying, "This is what's in store, this is what's in store."
The post noted that this man had previously threatened a NASCAR executive. Authorities did not name the specific executive. Additionally, the video that led to the arrest threatened someone else while also mentioning "grievances with the Sheriff's Office, DEA, and FBI."
"The VSO Domestic Security Unit tracked down Adrian Morales at the Icon One Daytona apartments directly across from Daytona International Speedway on Saturday (Feb. 14)," the post said.
"He was taken into custody without incident the day before the Daytona 500. Morales' proximity to the Speedway was concerning due to past grievances and aggressive messages he left for a NASCAR executive."
It is worth noting that the Icon One Daytona apartments are also less than half of a mile from the NASCAR Corporate campus in Daytona Beach.
"Morales' pattern of increasingly erratic behavior created urgency for law enforcement intervention," the post continued.
"After he was taken into custody, detectives recovered the AR-15 used in the video along with several rounds of ammunition from Morales' vehicle in the Icon One Daytona parking lot. A judge subsequently ordered him held at the Volusia County Branch Jail with no bond."
The arrest prevented a possible tragedy, and the NASCAR season began without incident. Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing kicked off the season by winning the crown jewel race. He has since added two more wins while making history as the first driver to win the first three races of a NASCAR season.
