Biofem Shooting Took 7 Months to Plot, D.A. Says

Prosecutors on Tuesday alleged that a Los Angeles businessman facing trial in connection with a bizarre attempted hit on an Irvine drug company executive had spent seven months plotting the murder.

Dino D’Saachs, 56, discussed details of the murder plan and arranged for photographs to be taken of the target, James Patrick Riley, as far back as August, prosecutors alleged in court documents.

A hooded gunman shot and wounded the Biofem Inc. CEO in the face as he arrived for work the morning of Feb. 28 at the company’s office in the Irvine Spectrum. Prosecutors allege that D’Saachs helped the unidentified gunman flee the scene.

D’Saachs appeared in court Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Prosecutors also added a new allegation, that D’Saachs carried a firearm when he helped the gunman escape--an accusation that would add an extra year to his sentence if D’Saachs is convicted. The defendant’s attorney declined to comment on the new allegations.

The shooting has perplexed detectives hunting for the gunman and triggered a series of increasingly odd twists in the case. Riley’s Biofem business partner, Dr. Larry C. Ford, committed suicide a day after police searched his home in connection with the shooting.

Last month, police evacuated more than 200 Irvine residents as police dug up Ford’s backyard and removed a cache of illegal weapons and explosives. FBI officials also found “suspicious materials” they believe might be hazardous, and removed them for testing. The Orange County Grand Jury is now investigating possible biological and chemical toxins in Ford’s possession, according to court documents.

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D’Saachs, a longtime friend of Ford, was in his van at the Irvine Spectrum the morning of the shooting, according to his attorney, Henry Salcido. Salcido would not say what his client was doing there, or whether D’Saachs knows who the gunman is.

Detectives testified during a preliminary hearing last week that witnesses saw a gunman dressed in black run through the Irvine Spectrum to the parking lot on the north side of the complex. One witness told detectives she saw the gunman dive into a Ford Aerostar van matching the description of D’Saachs’ vehicle.

Investigators testified they searched D’Saachs’ home and tax consulting business and found a deed to Riley’s home, a how-to book on assassination entitled “Hit Man” and photographs of Riley and the Irvine Spectrum complex.

The case will be moved to Santa Ana court on May 2, when a judge is likely to set a trial date. Salcido said he will resubmit requests to move the case to a different county because of the intense media coverage. Salcido’s previous request was denied.