San Juan Capistrano Woman Charged In Dana Point Harbor Killing

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA — A San Juan Capistrano woman was formally charged this week for her alleged role in killing a man and dumping his body in the ocean off Dana Point Harbor.

Sheila Marie Ritze, 40, faces first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges in the killing of the victim, identified only as T.D. in the indictment handed down Wednesday.

According to authorities, the superseding indictment also added a conspiracy count against 39- year-old Hoang Xuan Le of Fountain Valley, who was previously charged with murder and is the accused shooter. Both were arrested in December, according to previous reports.

The grand jury indictment alleges Ritze and Le worked together to lure the victim onto a boat last fall under the auspices of an overnight lobster fishing trip. The body was recovered several miles northwest of Oceanside on Oct. 16 year, said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Ritze, the registered owner of the boat, had previously been charged with being an accessory after the fact.

Both are currently held without bail and are scheduled for arraignment on the new indictment on July 6.

Le also faces new narcotics charges stemming from alleged drug deals with an undercover agent during the murder investigation, according to Mrozek. Le is accused of distributing cocaine on two occasions and distributing methamphetamine in two deals, he said.

The new indictment also alleges Le possessed both methamphetamine and a shotgun and an AR-15-type "ghost gun" at the time of his arrest, Mrozek said.

Ritze is accused of lying to federal investigators when she was arrested, Mrozek said.

Her attorney, Lloyd Freeberg, told reporters after a court hearing in January that his client has a "frightening and horrifying story" to tell eventually.

"It's a classic case of PTSD," Freeberg said.

The defense attorney said his client and Le were friends, and Ritze witnessed an "extremely vicious attack" and was too frightened and shocked to call the police.

"Every time I talk to her, she sobs and weeps," said Freeberg, who took the case over from attorney Ben Lechman, who represented Ritze at her initial Dec. 19 appearance in federal court when U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Scott denied bond for both defendants.

In December, Lechman argued that Ritze is a California native who has always resided in Southern California and has strong ties to the community, including a brother who is a sheriff's deputy. Ritze, separated from her spouse and has a 9-year-old daughter, "has every reason to stay here," the attorney said in arguing for bond.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Scally alleged in previous court appearances that Ritze was on the boat at the time of the killing and canvassed the dock for surveillance cameras afterward. The prosecutor also alleged that she was shopping for a bulletproof vest in the days before the killing. A text message thread containing two photos of the roofs of a parking garage with accompanying test reading "Irvine sniper" was found on her phone, they claim.

In making her no-bond ruling, Scott said a tracker allegedly bought by Ritze and found on the victim's girlfriend's car indicated that Ritze could pose a danger to the woman. She also said the "court is concerned the defendant has prior felony convictions and also had a history of alcohol abuse," citing a drunken driving conviction.

Le is accused of killing the victim because the man owed him $30,000 to $40,000, according to an affidavit supporting the criminal complaints.

The affidavit prepared by FBI Special Agent Christopher Gicking says Le allegedly told a confidential informant that he lured the victim onto a fishing boat last Oct. 14 in Dana Point Harbor for an overnight fishing trip, then shot him in the head. It also alleges Le anchored the victim's body with weights around the ankles and hurled him overboard.

The victim's girlfriend, who reported him missing Oct. 18, said she had lunch with Le and her boyfriend on the day of the fishing trip. During the lunch, Le and the victim discussed going lobster fishing together that night, according to Gicking.

The victim, who was about 40 years old, texted his girlfriend from the boat, describing his companion, and later sent her cell phone video of the boat, Gicking said. His last text was sent at 12:27 a.m. on Oct. 15, when he wrote, "love you," Gicking said.

The confidential informant told investigators that Le told him that when the three were on the boat, Le asked the victim when he was going to repay his debt, according to the affidavit.

"Le became upset with the victim because the victim `snapped' at Le and said he was not going to repay Le," Gicking wrote. Le allegedly then shot the victim three times, the agent said.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office determined the victim drowned after being shot and sustaining blunt force trauma.

The informant, while working with investigators, bought cocaine from Le, according to the FBI. Le allegedly indicated he would be open to being a contract killer, according to the affidavit.

The informant, wearing a wire, also recorded Le as he allegedly sold more drugs to him and again expressed a willingness to be a hitman, according to the FBI.

Investigators seized an AR-15-type rifle, shotgun, and crossbow found in Le's residence, Mrozek said.

Evidence allegedly shows Ritze's phone was near the harbor when the boat left and returned Oct. 14. Surveillance video also shows her at the harbor with two others, whom investigators suspect were Le and the victim, Mrozek said.

He said the surveillance video only showed Ritze and Le when the boat returned to the harbor hours later.

City News Service, Patch Editor Ashley Ludwig, contributed to this report.