Crime & Safety

Deputies Say Esthetician Plotted to Kill Competitor

A West Hollywood cyber-stalking case morphs into an investigation into a murder for hire.

Originally posted at 11:37 a.m. March 7, 2014. Edited to add more details.

The 55-year-old owner of a West Hollywood skin care business that caters to celebrities was charged today with solicitation of murder for allegedly trying to hire a former NFL player to kill one of her competitors.

Dawn DaLuise, proprietor of the Skin Refinery at 8543 Santa Monica Blvd., made her initial court appearance this afternoon, but her arraignment was rescheduled to March 19. She remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail.

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Detectives from the sheriffs Fraud and Cyber Crimes Bureau were investigating a cyberstalking case on Tuesday when they received separate information about the alleged murder solicitation, according to Deputy Peter Gomez of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau.

Following up on leads, investigators served several warrants in the Los Angeles County area on Wednesday and arrested DaLuise.

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"The investigation is still ongoing relative to the male allegedly contacted by DaLuise to perform murder for hire," Gomez said. "The motive for the alleged crime is over a business dispute with an esthetician competitor."

The target of the alleged plot was Gabriel Suarez, who opened Smooth Cheeks next door to Skin Refinery about seven months ago. He said business has been good, and he never suspected he was the target of a murder plot.

Suarez told ABC7 he didn't think his business was a threat to the suspect's salon.

"I mean, hairdressers work next to each other all the time, so I didn't think it would be a big deal," he told Channel 7.

According to the criminal complaint, the person DaLuise allegedly tried to hire was Chris Geile, an Anaheim native who played in three games as an offensive lineman for the Detroit Lions in 1987.

On her website, DaLuise says she's a former Frederick's of Hollywood model whose skincare clients have included Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., Alicia Silverstone, Christina Ricci, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Alyson Hannigan and Sally Struthers.

--City News Service


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