Son of ex-’Real Housewives’ star suspected of attempted murder in Costa Mesa shooting
Joshua Waring, son of former “Real Housewives of Orange County” star Lauri Peterson, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in the shooting of a man in Costa Mesa early Monday, authorities said.
The arrest occurred hours after the shooting, following a police chase in Santa Ana, according to Costa Mesa police.
Police allege that Waring, 27, shot a 35-year-old man in the lower torso around 2:30 a.m. at the man’s home in the 2900 block of Babb Street.
Police said a disagreement led to the shooting, but investigators haven’t determined what it was about.
“Apparently there had been a previous confrontation between [Waring] and the occupants of that residence earlier, and he had returned,” Costa Mesa police Lt. Paul Beckman said.
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Paramedics took the wounded man to Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana for treatment of serious injuries, but he is expected to survive, according to the Costa Mesa fire department.
When police arrived at the Babb Street home after the shooting, a man witnesses identified as Waring had already fled in a stolen BMW SUV, according to police.
About eight hours later, an Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter crew saw the BMW near the intersection of Standard and McFadden avenues in Santa Ana, police said.
As Santa Ana officers closed in, the driver of the SUV drove off and officers gave chase, according to authorities.
During the pursuit, the SUV crashed and the driver tried to escape on foot by hiding in a business near Fourth and Terminal streets, police said.
“After a brief standoff, he surrendered without further incident to the Santa Ana police,” Costa Mesa police said in a news release.
Waring, a San Juan Capistrano resident, was booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, vehicle theft, felony evading police, hit-and-run and assault and battery. His bail was set at $1 million, police said.
Costa Mesa police said investigators found evidence in the SUV linking Waring to the shooting, but no gun was found.
Waring has been arrested multiple times in Orange County, according to Superior Court records.
Most recently, he pleaded not guilty in May to felony drug and forgery charges that included possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.
In 2008, Waring pleaded guilty to three felony counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and six misdemeanors related to drug use or possession.
Court records show he also has pleaded guilty to misdemeanors including hit-and-run in 2008, battery in 2009, possession of drug paraphernalia in 2009 and resisting a peace officer and drug possession in 2015.
His mother was a cast member of Bravo’s hit reality TV series “The Real Housewives of Orange County” from its debut in 2006 until 2008, when she left to deal with her son’s problems, according to Bravo.
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Jeremiah Dobruck, jeremiah.dobruck2@latimes.com
Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck
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