California - GLENDALE - Police are searching for a dark-colored car that may have been involved in the shooting death of a motorcyclist on the Glendale (2) Freeway.
An autopsy was performed on the victim Thursday, but the results were not available, authorities said.
Manuel Vincent Martin, 30, suffered a bullet wound in the chest but had no other major visible injuries, according to Los Angeles County Department of Coroner spokesman Craig Harvey.
Police confirmed Thursday that another motorcyclist riding with Martin was wearing a Mongols Motorcycle Club T-shirt. The Mongols, a biker gang that originated in Montebello in the 1970s, has been warring with the Hell's Angels.
Gang involvement is being investigated as a possible motive in the slaying, according to Glendale Police Department Sgt. Tom Lorenz.
Several people showed up to the crime scene following the shooting, Lorenz said.
"The apparel that they were wearing indicated an association with the Mongols," he said. "There was one individual with a Mongol tatoo."
"The Police Department has not ruled out any outlaw biker activity that may have caused this event," he added.
The second rider was described as a friend of the victim by police. He called 9-1-1 and attempted to render aid. Police are not releasing the man's name at this time, Lorenz said.
Martin's had tattoos "all throughout his body," according to coroners, including "MHM" on one knee and "H13" Advertisement on his abdomen.
Empty shell casings and other evidence was recovered from the scene and is being examined by a forensics team, Lorenz said. Based on evidence, police believe the shooting was done with a handgun.
"Detectives are talking to those known to the victim to trace his steps prior the shooting in the hopes of identifying leads in the investigation," Lorenz said.
Violence has recently spiked in the ongoing war between the Mongols and Hells Angels. Last month, a pipe bomb exploded outside of the home of a Mongol leader in San Jose.
The head of the San Francisco chapter of the Hells Angels was shot and killed outside a bar after an altercation with a Mongol from Modesto.
The suspect in that shooting recently turned himself in to police in Oklahoma.
In 2002, two Hells Angels and one Mongol were killed in a Laughlin casino brawl.
The two gangs have been warring over the right to open new chapters beyond their territories. Mongols operate predominantly in southern California, while Hells Angels control the northern half of the state, according to Tim McKinley, an expert in motorcycle gangs who retired from the FBI in 2002.
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