Arraignment Monday for Biotech Executive Accused of Shooting Two

A biotech executive accused of wounding his estranged wife's brother and a former colleague in separate shootings at homes in La Jolla earlier this month is scheduled to be arraigned today.

Hans Petersen, 49, is suspected of firing into a home in the 5700 block of Waverly Drive about 3 a.m. Sept. 18, wounding 53-year-old Steven Dowdy. Dowdy, a UC San Diego researcher and former Petersen business associate, was awakened by gunshots, got up to investigate and suffered a bullet wound to his lower back, the San Diego Police Department reported.

Shortly before 7 a.m. that morning, more gunfire was reported, this time in the 1400 block of Cottontail Lane, about a half-mile northeast of the site of the first shooting. There, police found 43-year-old Ronald Fletcher with a gunshot wound to his stomach and Petersen suffering from a head injury, said Lt. Kevin Mayer of SDPD public-affairs.

The suspect's former brother-in-law told officers that after being shot in the abdomen, he managed to wrest the gun away from the assailant and hit him over the head with it. Petersen was treated at the same hospital before being released and taken to downtown SDPD headquarters for questioning.

Police said the relationship between Petersen and Dowdy began to sour when Petersen lost his job and blamed Dowdy, and 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.

Petersen is being held without bail on suspicion of several felonies, including three counts of attempted murder, two counts of discharging a firearm resulting in great bodily injury and two counts of burglary, according to jail records. The identity of his third alleged victim was unclear early today, although police have said Dowdy was in bed along with his wife when the couple was awakened by gunshots. She was not injured.

The accused had been scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 20, but the hearing was rescheduled at his request.

-- City News Service