POLICE SEEKING BACKGROUND ON VICTIM SHOT IN CAR.

Byline: Josh Kleinbaum Staff Writer

With few leads and no witnesses to the weekend slaying of Reynaldo Misael Quijano, detectives on Monday were trying to piece together his life, hoping his past might lead them to the gunman.

Quijano, a 39-year-old truck driver, was shot to death as he sat in his car early Sunday morning in the 7700 block of Arcola Avenue. There were no witnesses and police have few leads.

Police say he was a family man with no apparent ties to gangs or crime.

``Once we get to know more about him, we might come up with a motive,'' Sgt. Mike Coffey said. ``We just haven't found it yet.''

Police found Quijano's body slumped in the front seat of his 1975 Mercedes-Benz, shot in the chest a handful of times. The assailant shot through the driver's-side window, shattering the glass and killing Quijano before he had a chance to turn off the engine, Coffey said. The car was still idling when police found it.

``Possibly, somebody was lying in wait and shot him,'' Coffey said.

Little in Quijano's past suggests that he would be the victim of a violent killing, Coffey said. He is married with children and stepchildren. He wasn't involved in any gangs, and police do not believe the shooting was gang-related.

Quijano still had his wallet and money when police found him, so they don't believe it was a robbery, Coffey said.

Police believe the shooter sprang on Quijano just as he returned home. Detectives have pieced together his whereabouts from the entire day, but Coffey would not say from where Quijano was coming.

Maria Quijano, Reynaldo's wife, would not comment.

Josh Kleinbaum, [phone]

josh.kleinbaum(at)dailynews.com