Marvin Ponce, 37, Murdered by Star Wars Killer at 7th and Brooks Ave in Venice

Marvin Ponce of San Fernando was killed in the Wednesday afternoon shooting, according to the L.A. County coroner's office. Friends of the victim said he was the father of a 1-year-old daughter.

"Marvin was a family man, and he worked hard to take care of his family, especially his daughter," said his co-worker and close friend, Mario Recinos, in a statement. "He was never negative, always gave positive advice and always had a big smile on his face."

Ponce worked for Right of Way Inc. for three years in the traffic control department and was described by his co-workers as "one of ROW's most hard-working and easy-going employees." Wes Molino, the victim's employer, said Ponce was a "fantastic employee who loved his job."

Police say a man, possibly wearing a Star Wars mask, shot and killed another man in the middle of 7th Avenue and Brooks Ave in Venice Wednesday afternoon. Few details have been released. The man was shot dead in the middle of 7th Avenue just after 4 PM, in what is a mixed neighborhood of mansions and older low income housing. It is the Venice community's sixth murder of the year.

The suspect was reportedly wearing black jeans and a black hoodie. Witnesses described him as African-American and about 5'9". Marvin Ponce was 37 years old and a construction worker, who had been directing traffic prior to the shooter coming upon him. Police are investigating a possible gang motive or connection.

The suspect ran away said officer Robert Long of the LAPD. "There is no active search at this time because we believe he has left The neighborhood."

Disguise is sometimes used in criminal activity and in spying, and is a common trope in detective fiction and in spy stories. Arsene Lupin is feared in Maurice Leblanc's stories because of his extreme ability to disguise himself, it is a trademark of Lupin. As for real criminals, numerous bandits and bank robbers have worn masks.

Star Wars is an American epic space opera media franchise, centered on a film series created by George Lucas. It depicts the adventures of various characters "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away".

The franchise began in 1977 with the release of the film Star Wars, (subtitled Episode IV: A New Hope in 1981) by 20th Century Fox, which became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. It was followed by the similarly successful sequels The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983); these three films constitute the original Star Wars trilogy. Star Wars is the 4th highest grossing series of movies ever.