Services Conducted for Slain Restaurant Owner

About 450 relatives and friends of Joe Louis Avila, a restaurateur who was gunned down in his car last week, attended prayer services Monday at the South Coast Community Church in Irvine.

“I was shocked by the news of Joe passing away. It’s not easy, especially in the way it happened,” said Jesse Miranda, who is superintendent of the Latin-American District Assemblies of God in La Habra and a family friend.

“However, I’m glad to tell you he is in a good place. In the last few months of his life he had given his life to the Lord,” Miranda said.

Orange County Sheriff’s Department investigators said Avila had helped close two restaurants for the night and apparently was driving to his $500,000 house in Santa Ana Heights just after midnight Thursday when at least 14 bullets were fired through the window of his black 1985 Porsche Carrera convertible.

An autopsy showed Avila died of multiple gunshot wounds between the neck and waist.

Investigators said they have not found a motive for the shooting.

Avila had been indicted in Hawaii on charges of drug smuggling in 1977 along with his brother Sergio and nine others, but was never tried.

The case was dismissed after a federal judge ruled that the key witnesses against the suspects should have testified in person before the grand jury.

During the prayer services, family members would not speak to a reporter, but they have denied that Joe Avila had any contact with drug trafficking or that it played any role in the shooting.

Those attending Monday’s prayer vigil included Wendell Tyler, a San Francisco 49er running back who said he often joined Avila in Bible study sessions and as recently as last week.

Born-Again Christian

Avila had become a born-again Christian last year and in recent months had turned to the Bible, Miranda said.

Sheriff’s Lt. Richard J. Olson repeated earlier statements that the investigators have not made any references to a drug connection in the Avila murder.

“The homicide department is looking into this. It makes no sense in letting the bad guys know what we’re doing,” he said.

Avila was one of the family owners of the El Ranchito restaurant chain in Los Angeles and Orange counties.