DawnDaLuise,formerowneroftheSkinRefinery

PHOTOGRAPHBYGREGGSEGAL

48

193

LONGFORM

UndertheSkin:APopularWestHollywoodAestheticianWasArrestedfor
TryingtoMurderHerRival.WasShethePerpetratorortheVictim?
May27,2015

GregNichols

Crime

Addacomment

OnlyafterDaLuisehadbeenarrestedandarraigneddidMcCauleybegintalkingto
herfriendsandacquaintancestobuildacaseforprosecution.WhenMcCauleyspoke

withoneofDaLuisesneighbors,helearnedthatshehadseenamanmatching
Feinsteinsdescriptionthrowingfliersfromamovingcar.DaLuiseslandlordalso
confirmedreceivingharassingphonecallsfromamanwhoclaimedDaLuisewas
hostingsexpartiesinherapartment.WhenMcCauleylookedintoFeinsteins
criminalhistoryandreachedouttoTorres,Feinsteinsmostrecentarrestingofficer,
hediscoveredtheharassmentDaLuisewasexperiencingfitFeinsteinsm.o.withor
withoutPrugo.
AwarenessofFeinsteinsbehaviordidntstopauthoritiesfrompubliclyincriminating
DaLuise.McCauleyssupervisor,CaptainShaunMathers,madeastatementshortly
afterherarrest,claimingthesheriffsdepartmenthadsolidevidence,notjusttexts,
whichshowthatMs.DaLuisewasactivelyinvolvedinplanningamurderforhire.
BothMcCauleyandMathersappearedona20/20segment,echoingthatstatement
justdaysafterDaLuisewaslockedup.Feinsteinwasalsoaguestonthesegment,and
heusedtheopportunitytosaythatDaLuisehadorchestratedtheharassmentherself.
Intheweeksthepiecewasbeingtaped,however,McCauleystartedtosuspect
Feinstein.Itmakesforanawkwardbitoftelevision.When20/20hostChrisConnelly
asksMcCauleyoncameraifheknowswhodidwhattowhom,thedetectivestares
downforamomentbeforeanswering,No.McCauleyandMathersthenbreakinto
nervouslaughter.
InmidMarchMcCauleyobtainedasearchwarrantandconfiscatedFeinsteins
computer.AweekafterDaLuisesarrest,McCauleypickedupFeinsteinonsuspicion
oforchestratingthebrutalcampaignofharassment.ThatdidntmeanDaLuisecould
gofree.Shehadbeenarrestedforsolicitationtocommitmurder,notforstalking,and
thetextmessagesshedsentseemedtoindicatethatshewantedtohave
Suarezkilled.Thechargecarriesamaximumofnineyearsinprison,buttheburden
ofproofishigh.Therehadbeennoexchangeofmoney,whichisoftenaprerequisite
foraconviction,andtheredidntseemtobeanyevidenceofalegitimateplot.Geile,
theallegedhitman,wasnevernamedasasuspect,andheswiftlytooktothemedia
toclearhisname.

Atamilliondollars,DaLuisesbailwasasteeppricetopayforacoupleoftext
messages.Withthemediaattention,itwouldhavebeenembarrassingfortheD.A.s
officetoreversecourseandletDaLuisego.Itwouldhavealsoopenedtheofficetoa
potentiallawsuit.Prosecutorsdecidedtoproceedwiththecase.DaLuisesaysshewas
offeredseveraldealswhileinjailandwastoldshecouldwalkoutthesamedayifshe
coppedtoalessercrime.TheytoldmeIcouldpickthecrime,aslongasitwasa
felony,shesays.Sherejectedthedeals,maintainingherinnocencethroughouther
lengthyconfinement.

///
hetrialbeganinJanuary2015,andwasafarce.DespiteMatherss
publicstatementabouthavingsolidevidenceofDaLuises
involvementinaplottocommitmurder,theprosecutionscaserested
onthosetextmessages.Inthecontextofthelongerthreadsinwhich

thosemessagesappeared,theywereeasytointerpretastastelessjokes.Giventhe
likelihoodthatFeinsteinhadmastermindedtheharassmenthimself,theprosecution
couldntpossiblyputhimonthestand.
GabrielSuarezwasntlaughing.Outsidethecourtroom,awaitinghisturnasa
witness,hedidbelieveDaLuiseintendedtodohimharm.Ifyouthinksomeoneis
harassingyou,yougotothepolice,hesaid.Youdonttrytohavethemkilled.He
allowedthathedidntknowmuchaboutthedetailsofthecaseagainstDaLuiseorher
repeatedattemptstohavetheNorthHollywoodpoliceintervene.Allheknewwas
thatshehadsaidawfulthingsabouthimandhaddraggedhisnamethroughthemud
repeatedlyoverseveralmonths.Thewholethinghadlefthimdeeplyrattled,andhe
wasfrustratedthatshehadntmadeanyattempttoapologizeforfalselyaccusinghim
ofwhatweremostlikelyFeinsteinsactions.

DaLuisehaslosthersuccessfulWestHollywoodbusiness
PHOTOGRAPHBYGREGGSEGAL

DaLuiseobtainedtheservicesofadefenseattorney,JamonHicks,fromalawfirm
foundedbythelateJohnnieCochran.Hetookthecaseprobonoattherequestofone
ofDaLuisesclients,andhedidntbreakmuchofasweat.Hicksdestroyedthe
prosecutionandmadeMcCauleylookincompetent.Thejurydeliberatedfor40
minutesbeforereturningitsverdict:notguilty.
DaLuisespentnearlyayearinjailwhileproclaimingherinnocence.Duringthat
time,herlifefellapart.Theclinicsheworkedsohardtobuildisnowclosed,andher
reputationisintatters.Shelostherapartmentandislivinginherexhusbandshouse.
Shewantstorebuildherclientlist,butat56itisnteasytostartover.Hergalvanic
ionizationmachinewentintostorageafterherarrest,butshehopestouseitagain
soon.

InmidAprilherattorneyfiledacivilsuitagainstSteveMcCauleyandShaun
Mathers.Ifitgoestoajurytrial,thereisastronglikelihoodthattheirbafflingmedia
appearancesintheweeksfollowingDaLuisesarrestwillbeusedagainstthem.
AfterhisarrestinMarch2014,Feinsteinwasletoutofjail,pendingcharges.Asof
thiswriting,nonehavebeenfiled.Itsunderinvestigation,DeputyD.A.Wendy
Segalltoldmetwomonthsago.InlightofDaLuisesnotguiltyverdict,itwillbe
difficulttobringnewchargesrelatedtothiscase.Investigatorskeepassuring
DaLuisethatFeinsteinwillbearrestedandchargedinamatterofweeks,butasof
earlyMay,heisafreeman.WhenIaskedFeinsteinforaninterview,hesaidhe
wouldspeaktomeonlyofftherecord,anofferIdeclined.
ForDaLuise,theordealmaynotbeover.Afterbeingoutofjailforjustthreemonths,
shewasforcedtoreachouttoMcCauley.Thoughshehateshimforwhathedidto
her,sheonceagainneedshishelp.Sherecentlyfiledarestrainingorderagainst
Prugo(whoisnowoutofjail),butshedoesntknowFeinsteinswhereabouts.She
andherexhusbandarereceiving300robocallsaday.Duringoneofourlast
exchanges,shesentafrantictext:Ourfamilyisundersiegeagain.

GregNicholswroteGonein30Seconds,abouttheCaliforniaHighway
Patrolundercoverinvestigatorswhocrackdownonmotorcycletheft,fortheMarch
issue.
ThisfeatureappearsintheJune2015issueofLosAngelesmagazine.

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TAGS:CHRISGEILE,CRIMINALSANDSHADYCHARACTERS,DAWNDALUISE,EDDIEFEINSTEIN,GABRIEL
SUAREZ,NANCYJOSALES,NICKPRUGO,SMOOTHCHEEKS,STEVEMCCAULEY

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