Jury selection got under way March 2 for the trial of a former biotech executive accused of wounding his estranged brother-in-law and an ex-business partner in separate shootings at their La Jolla homes.
Hans Antone Petersen, 50, is charged with three counts of attempted murder and one count each of shooting at an inhabited dwelling and burglary. He faces up to 96 years to life in prison if convicted.
On Sept. 18, 2013, Petersen allegedly fired his gun into the master bedroom of 53-year-old Steven Dowdy, a UCSD researcher and former business associate, as he and his wife were sleeping.
“But for a dresser-table, the husband would have died,” said Deputy District Attorney Amy Maund, adding that four shots hit the dresser. “When the husband got out of bed, he was shot (in the lower back).”
About four hours later, Maund added, Petersen allegedly broke into a home on Cottontail Lane and fired randomly until he found his second “intended target,” the 43-year-old brother of Petersen’s estranged wife. Ronald Fletcher was shot in the stomach but was able to disarm his assailant, she said.
Petersen was arrested later that day and remains in custody in lieu of $5 million bail.
Police said the relationship between Petersen and Dowdy began to sour when Petersen lost his job and blamed Dowdy and that the suspect allegedly targeted Fletcher because of the role he played in his sister’s separation from Petersen.
According to Petersen’s online resume, he is CEO of Bays Four Corp., a genome data-analysis firm headquartered in La Jolla.
— City News Service