Hells Angel leader killed in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco police are investigating the slaying of a Hells Angels leader in the city.

Mark "Papa" Guardado, 45, the president of the motorcycle club's San Francisco chapter, was shot Tuesday night about a mile from the group's clubhouse. Guardado died at San Francisco General Hospital.

Guadardo had been facing battery and gang charges in Sonoma County in connection with a beating outside a Petaluma bar in Februrary. Jonathan Nelson, 31, identified as the vice president of the Sonoma County chapter of the Hells Angels, also is charged in the case.

Police think Guardado may have been in fight with a rival in another motorcycle group before he was killed. Witnesses told investigators that he and the gunman struggled before the shooting and that the suspect fled on a motorcycle.

The San Francisco chapter is one of the oldest Hells Angels branches in the country. The half-centry-old club is known for an outlaw image, and its members have been a target of police anti-gang and anti-drug efforts.