Man Charged in Alleged Attack on Former ‘Real Housewives of Orange County’ Star

NEWPORT BEACH—A 33-year-old Los Angeles man was charged Feb. 3 with several felonies related to an alleged attack on a former “Real Housewives of Orange County” cast member in her Newport Beach home.

Ryan Matthew Geraghty was charged with single counts each of extortion, assault with a firearm, criminal threats, corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, possession of a firearm by a felon, and grossly negligent discharge of a firearm—all felonies—as well as two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance. He also faces sentencing enhancements for the personal use of a firearm.

Police were called to perform a welfare check about 5:45 p.m. Tuesday in the 100 block of Medina Way, where a suspect was determined to be holed up inside, prompting a standoff. After about two hours, officers made their way inside the home and police said they found the armed suspect “actively threatening the life of the victim”—who was identified by her manager as Elizabeth Lyn Vargas.

The suspect was taken into custody. Police said that after speaking with the victim, officers evacuated some surrounding homes while they secured the home. After conducting a search of the residence, the evacuations were lifted and no other suspects were found, police said.

Vargas’ manager, David Weintraub, issued a statement saying, “Elizabeth is doing great now,” and added, “She wants to thank the Newport Beach Police Department and SWAT teams for saving her from harm’s way. This was a traumatic experience for her and she feels blessed that she survived.”

He said security would be beefed up around Vargas’s home.

Several media outlets, including Page Six and ABC7, reported that Vargas and Geraghty had briefly dated, and she feared that he may have been attempting to extort her.