Woman Fatally Stabbed; Police Seek Husband : Violence: Victim reportedly got out of car and ran, only to be pursued, attacked in parking lot. She is mother of a 2-year-old.

A Placentia woman was chased and stabbed to death by her estranged husband Wednesday in a restaurant parking, as a friend frantically called for help, police said.

Police officers found the body of Brenda Suzanne Summers, 28, with stab wounds to her throat, face and chest in the lot of Don Jose’s restaurant 1725 N. Placentia Ave., Sgt. Dan Becerra said.

Investigators are looking for Steven Todd Summers, 31, whose current address is unknown.

About 4 p.m., Brenda Summers and a friend were returning from taking Summers’ 2-year-old daughter to the child’s paternal grandparents’ home in Whittier, when she noticed that her husband was following her, Becerra said.

Summers told her friend, whose name was not released, to pull over into the parking lot of a nearby restaurant, police said. As he did, the assailant drove up in a maroon sports car, Becerra said. Witnesses said when the man got out of his car and walked toward her, Brenda Summers ran.

The man pursued her across the driveway and caught her between a carwash and the restaurant. They struggled and the man punched her before stabbing her throat, witnesses told police.

The man continued stabbing until she fell, when he ran to his car and left, police said.

Summers’ friend frantically ran to a phone booth across the street to call 911, witnesses said.

Summers had moved out of her estranged husband’s apartment and into a trailer park about a week ago, Becerra said. There, she met the friend who was giving her a ride to Whittier Wednesday.

The Summers had been married for about two years, police said. In the past seven months, police have received calls about domestic violence at their Fullerton apartment, authorities said.

Investigators went to the home of Steven Summers’ parents in Whittier and were told that the family last saw him about 3:30 p.m., just minutes after they saw Brenda Summers and her friend, Becerra said. After asking about his wife, Steven Summers left to pursue her, police said.

Police also went to the Fullerton apartment, but were told that Steven Summers had moved out about a week ago.

The suspect was described as a muscular white man in his early 30s, about six feet tall with brownish blond, shoulder-length hair. He was wearing blue jeans and no shirt. The license plate of the 1987 Trans-Am driven by Steven Summers is 2EGB008.

Pam Hull, Steven Summers’ aunt, said she saw him Wednesday afternoon but would not talk about their meeting.

“Nobody in this family can believe this. He’s not like that,” Hull said. “He’s always been a wonderful person, an ordinary person who works at a warehouse.”

The couple’s daughter was taken into protective custody at Orangewood Children’s Home.