Investigators trying to find the killer of dozens of peafowl on the Palos Verdes Peninsula released a sketch Tuesday of a gray-haired motorist in a Mercedes-Benz who shot a peacock standing in a driveway and drove off.

A witness saw the man kill the bird about 8:20 p.m. July 9 in the 27000 block of Eastvale Road, said Lt. Cesar Perea of spcaLA.

“The hope is that someone is going to recognize this person and this vehicle as someone that they know,” Perea said.

The witness told investigators that a silver four-door Mercedes-Benz pulled up. A man in the driver’s seat fired a pellet at a peacock standing in the driveway, striking it. The peacock collapsed and died.

The witness described the motorist as white, 50 to 60 years old, wearing a white shirt and “aviator” sunglasses.

“This is the first time I have this much detail in an investigation to where not only was somebody seen, a vehicle was seen and the bird was recovered,” Perea said. “We were able to get a significant amount of evidence from the bird.”

Peafowl have long been a source of controversy on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Some people love them for their beauty, while others complain about the noise and mess they create.

Since June 2012, 52 peafowl have been found dead or injured in Rolling Hills Estates. Some birds were hit by cars, but many were intentionally killed with BB/pellet guns or rifles, crossbows and slingshots with marbles.

Since May 3, five peafowl have been killed, primarily in the Dapplegray Lane area. This killing on July 9 was outside that area.

Anyone killing peafowl can be charged with felony animal cruelty, punishable by up to three years in prison and $20,000 in fines.

Detectives want to put an end to the deaths.

“The violent way this bird was killed, the gun was pointed directly at someone’s home,” Perea said. “If they were to miss with the type of gun that was used, you could easily miss and hit a child or hit someone who is in their front yard.”

Perea asked anyone with information that can help solve the case to call him at 323-730-5300, Ext 272. Anonymous tips can be made to the Animal Cruelty Tipline at 800-540-SPCA or can be made online at www.spcala.com.