Detectives believe the shooting death of a general manager of a Gardena strip club on a freeway in the Harbor Gateway Thursday may have been caused by a personal dispute, it was reported Saturday.
"We are just beginning to think this may be related to some sort of dispute," Los Angeles police detective Sal LaBarbera told the Daily Breeze newspaper. "It may have been personal."
A gunman pulled alongside of Ivan Karl Spencer's Toyota Prius on the Gardena (91) Freeway at Harbor (110) Freeway and opened fired. Spencer called 911 about 2:35 am. Thursday to report he was shot, but was unconscious when police and firefighters arrived.
He had multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed by paramedics to hospital, where he died.
Spencer was also known as "Rockzilla" and had worked for 15 years at Starz, a strip club at 2528 W. Rosecrans Ave. that is owned by his girlfriend.
LaBarbera told the Daily Breeze that in the aftermath of the shooting detectives received numerous calls and are leaning against the possibility of the crime being a random act.
Spencer worked until 2:20 a.m. that night and drove home, LaBabera told the Daily Breeze. His route was usually along Rosecrans or Redondo Beach Boulevard toward the Harbor (110) Freeway and then south.
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Employees at Starz described him as a nice man who did not drink, smoke or gamble. No fights or arguments had broken out at the strip club on Wednesday night, other employees said.
