Man arrested on suspicion of trying to hire a hit man

Mike Swanson

An undercover officer arrested a man suspected of giving him a $1,000

deposit at Pavilions on Tuesday to break a former business partner’s

knees and disfigure his face.

After receiving a tip late last month that 43-year-old Fariborz

Seyedjafari was looking for a hit man, a Laguna Beach officer posed

as one and told Seyedjafari he’d carry out the crime for $5,000, Sgt.

Darin Lenyi said. The officer arrested the Coto De Caza resident at

12:49 p.m. without incident after Seyedjafari handed over $1,000 in

cash in the back of the Pavilions parking lot, Lenyi said.

“We have him on video and audio making the offer,” Capt. Danell

Adams said. “That has a tendency to put things to rest quickly.”

Police wouldn’t identify the victim, who is involved in a civil

case with Seyedjafari over their Mission Viejo tile and carpet retail

store. They also wouldn’t say whether the victim or suspect had any

ties to Laguna Beach.

“We’re staying quiet on a lot of the details to protect the

victim,” Lenyi said. “These were some serious threats.”

The victim told Seyedjafari that he didn’t want to be in business

with Seyedjafari anymore, Adams said. When Seyedjafari said he didn’t

want to split the business’s assets, the victim told Seyedjafari that

he planned to take him to court, Adams said.

“The suspect didn’t want to split the partnership, didn’t want to

give up any money and didn’t want to go to court,” Adams said. “He

evidently decided that fear and intimidation would keep the victim

from proceeding.”

Seyedjafari was arrested on suspicion of soliciting to commit a

felony crime and is being held in Orange County Jail on $200,000

bail.

After the arrest, police issued the victim an emergency protective

order in case Seyedjafari made bail, which was raised to $200,000

from $10,000, Adams said. Seyedjafari hadn’t posted bail as of

Wednesday.