Police Report No Leads in Death of Restaurant Worker

Suspects and a motive are still lacking in the death of restaurant worker Peter Espejo Castro, who was fatally shot while walking in the Lido Peninsula area of Newport Beach, police said Thursday.

Castro, 47, lived in a mobile home park at 47 Cabrillo St., near the shooting scene, police said.

He was shot once in the chest about 1 a.m. Wednesday as he was walking to his parked car in the 3000 block of Lafayette Avenue, near the Cannery Restaurant. Witnesses told police that Castro was stopped by two men in a blue Toyota pickup truck that was driven down Lafayette, from 31st Street, the wrong way.

As the driver of the truck waited, a male passenger got out, talked briefly with Castro, then shot him once in the chest. The truck then roared off, witnesses told police.

Castro worked at Delaney’s Restaurant, 630 Lido Park Drive.

“He was a very good employee who always reported to work on time and performed well,” said Dan Silva, vice president of Delaney’s Inc. “He was a very quiet, private person, so we don’t know much about him. But he was a very diligent employee.”

Silva said co-workers knew of no reason anyone would want to gun down Castro.

Officer Bob Oakely, spokesman for the Newport Beach Police Department, said Thursday that no new information has turned up in the shooting.

“We don’t know of a motive,” Oakley said. “From what we’ve learned about the man, he was a very private person.” Oakley said Castro was living alone in the mobile home park.

Witnesses to the shooting have been asked to call Newport Beach police at (714) 644-3717.