Los Angeles man arrested after extorting money from and threatening to kill ‘Real Housewives’ star
Photo: Ryan Matthew Geraghty (CBSLA)
A man from Los Angeles has been arrested after he allegedly assaulted, burglarized, and threatened to kill a reality television star.
On February 1, 2022, the victim, later identified as “The Real Housewives of Orange County” star Elizabeth Vargas, was evacuated from her Newport Beach home after police were called regarding a welfare check. According to the news release from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, suspect 33-year-old Ryan Matthew Geraghty had gone to Vargas’ home, pointed a gun at her, and threatened to kill her because she refused to give him more money in exchange for not selling nude photographs of her to the media.
Geraghty was immediately placed under arrest, and nearby homes were evacuated for safety.
Geraghty and Vargas had been involved in a romantic relationship. His alleged crimes against her began on Christmas Eve of 2021, when Geraghty started extorting what became tens of thousands of dollars from Vargas. After she told him she would not pay him any more in exchange for not selling the nude photos, he allegedly punched her in the face, then pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her after she refused a second time.
“Geraghty is accused of forcing the woman to buy him a BMW, which she does,” according to the release.
He is accused of taking violent action against Vargas again on January 31st, when he shot a gun into the ceiling during an argument.
Lastly, on February 1st, Geraghty allegedly called Vargas, accused her of stealing his car, and said he was coming for her, which culminated in the incident that ended in his arrest.
Geraghty, who already had two strikes under the Three Strikes Law in California, was booked on numerous charges, including “one felony count of extortion by force or threat, one felony count of assault with a firearm, one felony count of criminal threats, one felony count of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, one felony count of grossly negligent discharge of a firearm, one felony count of possession of a firearm by a felon and two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance,” according to the release. It continues, “He has also been charged with two felony enhancements of personally using a firearm and an enhancement under Penal code section 1203e4 that prohibits a judge from offering him probation as a result of his violent record.”
“‘There are some members of our society who are so violent that they cannot live among the rest of us,’ said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. ‘California’s Three Strikes Law was designed to protect law-abiding residents from being subjected to a never-ending campaign of violence by individuals who have no respect for the law and no respect for human life. Thankfully the Newport Beach Police Department prevented serious harm from coming to this woman and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office will do everything it can to prevent this violent criminal from being able to harm anyone else.’
