Man Who Bought It Gave Phony Name and Address : Cycle Left at Avila Murder Scene Traced to L.A.

Investigators have traced a motorcycle left at the Santa Ana Heights intersection where restaurateur Joe Luis Avila was killed to a dealership in Los Angeles County, but the buyer gave the dealership a phony name and address, authorities said Friday.

The motorcycle was parked 10 to 15 feet in front of the black Porsche convertible in which Avila’s bullet-riddled body was found still belted into the driver’s seat at 12:30 a.m. Thursday.

The new cycle was impounded, and so far no one has claimed it, investigators said.

Sheriff’s Capt. Doug Storm said the cycle might have been driven or parked in front of Avila’s car to stop him, then abandoned after the shooting. “There’s a bunch of different theories about that,” Storm said.

Avila, 40, a member of the family that founded the El Ranchito restaurant chain in Orange and Los Angeles counties, was indicted in Hawaii for drug smuggling in 1977, as was his brother Sergio and nine others. The indictment was dismissed, however, on procedural grounds.

Storm said that investigators “do know and have had information in the past that (Joe Avila) was involved in drug dealings.” His family, however, denied that he was ever connected with drug trafficking.

Avila had helped close two restaurants for the night and apparently was driving to his $500,000 house in Santa Ana Heights, when, at the intersection of Tustin and Santa Isabel avenues, at least 14 bullets were fired through his window. Several struck him in the upper torso.

Storm said that at least 10 cartridge casings were found on the pavement near the car and that they came from an automatic or semiautomatic weapon. Ballistics tests were not complete Friday, and there still was the possibility that more than one weapon was used.

Storm said the man or men--he declined to specify how many--who bought the cycle this week gave the dealership a Los Angeles address that does not exist and gave a name that does not appear on any California driver license.

A check of various sources has failed to confirm the name as genuine, he said.

Sheriff’s Department spokesman Lt. Richard J. Olson repeatedly emphasized Friday “that this department has never said anything about drugs in connection with this case--we’re investigating a homicide.”

On Thursday, James Enright, chief deputy district attorney, said, “We realize that drugs are the primary deal here, but we’re looking at it from a little broader aspect that I can’t talk about.”

The victim’s family members on Thursday said they didn’t think drugs were involved in the ambush shooting. And Olson on Friday declined to comment on whether the Sheriff’s Department is pursuing a possible drug connection to the murder.

“We don’t go out and tell everyone what we’re looking into because that would just be telling the crooks in advance,” Olson said. “I can only tell you that we’re doing everything we can to solve this crime, and that includes talking to many people.”

Olson said no clues had surfaced Friday in locating a car that left the scene immediately after the shooting. Neighbors who saw the car described it as a small, tan “Honda-type” vehicle with three people inside.