It started as a drive-by shooting on a mostly deserted stretch of the 101 Freeway about 3:15 a.m.
Despite the early hour, the Los Angeles Police Department received several reports of shots fired. Officers found a car on a center median downtown, specked with bullet holes, its 25-year-old driver clinging to life. The southbound freeway was closed -- and remained closed for nearly eight hours, making the morning commute a nightmare.
"This is a real whodunit," Police Lt. Paul Vernon said. With no immediate witnesses to the shooting and the victim in critical condition, detectives are focusing on the victim's mysterious car.
It is a silver, two-door 2005 Bentley Continental GT with glittering silver rims valued at about $100,000, the ride of rap stars and other celebrities. Paris Hilton was arrested in hers. Jay-Z rapped about his. Shaq and Kobe had theirs customized.
Detectives checked the registration and asked downtown merchants if any Bentleys had been reported stolen. The Bentley was not registered to the victim and police do not believe it belonged to him, Vernon said. Police found temporary registration papers on the car and verified the owner through the vehicle identification number, but Vernon would not release the owner's name.
The car appeared to have been bought recently, since it still had a temporary paper license tag on the back that read "Dream." The tag was from Dream Motor Cars on La Cienega Boulevard just outside Beverly Hills. An employee, who declined to give his name, confirmed that it had sold the Bentley recently. He would not identify the buyer. He said the dealership's owner, Amir Fatemi, was on vacation. A similar car is listed on the company's website for $99,900.
Police searched the car but found no weapons, drugs or other illegal items, and were still trying to determine the motive for the shooting.
"We have not seen a freeway shooting in quite some time," Vernon said. "And this case really stands out in the number of rounds fired at the victim's car and the kind of car the victim was driving."
No surveillance cameras were visible along the stretch of freeway where the car was found, but as detectives canvassed for evidence, Vernon said police would also look for traffic cameras that may have captured images of the Bentley before the shooting.
