Who drugged Pasha? Police have a 'person of interest'

There's a "person of interest" in the drugging of Oksana "Pasha" Grishuk, an Olympic ice dancer who was dosed with a date-rape drug while eating dinner at a snazzy Orange County hotel earlier this month. No name yet, and the man is not under arrest. The Times' Susannah Rosenblatt has more:

Grishuk discovered a pill in the bottom of her glass of red wine during a dinner meeting April 12, which tested positive for the date-rape drug GHB.

Sheriff’s officials have interviewed the man, whom Grishuk has known for about two years, but he is not under arrest, said Orange County sheriff’s spokesman Jim Amormino. Authorities declined to release the man’s name. The two were at dinner alone.

The 60-something man in question joined Grishuk for dinner and drinks at the luxurious St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach in Dana Point, Amormino said. They met to discuss plans for Grishuk, a two-time gold-medal winner for Russia, to start a vitamin and clothing business. Grishuk, 36, finished part of a drink in the hotel lounge; halfway through dinner she began to feel "pretty strange and nauseous, her lips were numb," Amormino said. The Aliso Viejo resident then discovered the pill. Authorities were called and she was briefly hospitalized.

Grishuk did not leave her drinks unattended, but remembered looking away for a moment during dinner, Amormino said.

No one else, including St. Regis employees, is under scrutiny. Results of blood tests, which should be available in about 10 days, will go to the OC's district attorney.

-- Veronique de Turenne

Photo: Eric Draper / Associated Press