Costa Mesa man slain in shooting at bar

A local man is jailed in the death Sunday night of Jose Pilotzi Salaiz, 22, on El Camino Drive. A 22-year-old Costa Mesa man was killed Sunday night after he was shot multiple times at a bar in the 1000 block of El Camino Drive.

Officers and firefighters responding to reports of gunshots at the “Juan” More Time bar at 11 p.m. Sunday found a young man who had been shot in his torso, said Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Bob Ciszek.

Jose Pilotzi Salaiz was pronounced dead at the scene. An unarmed security guard in the bar detained the suspected gunman until police arrived.

Luis Alberto Acevedo Cruz, also 22 and a resident of Costa Mesa, is being held without bail in the Costa Mesa city jail on suspicion of murder, Ciszek said.

Based on witness accounts, police believe Salaiz was shot with a handgun. Police have not found the gun.

There is no indication the shooting was gang-related, police said.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Matt Murphy said Monday he is reviewing the case and will file charges Tuesday morning.

The “Juan” More Time bar is tucked into the corner of a rundown, largely deserted strip mall between Coronado Drive and El Camino Drive.

The morning after the shooting, the metal doors to the nondescript bar were padlocked shut, and the strip mall was empty but for a handful of customers who trickled in and out of the mini-mart next door.

Trash littered the concrete doorway to the bar, but there were no visible signs that a man had been shot dead inside the establishment just hours earlier.

This is the second homicide in Costa Mesa this year, police said.

In January, 69-year-old Arthur Lee Hayes was shot and killed in his home near South Coast Plaza. Hayes’ stepson, 50-year-old Dennis Thomas, surrendered to Orange County sheriff’s deputies and was arrested on charges relating to the death.

* LAUREN VANE covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at (714) 966-4618 or by e-mail at lauren.vane@latimes.com.

Jose Pilotzi Salaiz, 22, died of multiple gunshot wounds sustained late Sunday night at the “Juan” More Time bar in Costa Mesa.20051025iowewlkn(LA)Luis Alberto Acevedo Cruz 20051025iow8ubkn(LA)