The son of a former “Real Housewives of Orange County” cast member was ordered Monday to stand trial on three charges of attempted murder in Costa Mesa.
Orange County Superior Court Judge W. Michael Hayes found prosecutors presented enough evidence at a preliminary hearing to hold over Joshua Michael Waring, 27, for trial.
Hayes admonished Waring to reconsider representing himself as attorney in the case as he did during the preliminary hearing.
Last week, two of the victims who accused the defendant of shooting at them testified about the “chaos” at the June 20 crime scene.
When gunfire erupted outside of a home at 2959 Babb St., victim Danny Lopez, who lived in a garage there, said, “I turned and ran in the other direction toward the main house… That walkway was like a shooting gallery. It was horrible.”
Lopez “was shot, but he wasn’t sure he was shot or not. It was chaos,” testified Jennifer M, whose last name was withheld in court.
When asked how many times Waring opened fire from a white 2011 BMW X3, Jennifer said, “I just knew it was a lot. At least eight. I saw every one of them — the flashing.”
Another victim — known in court as Ronald D — said he heard multiple gunshots ring out on the night of the June 20 shooting.
“Nine to 10 shots,” Ronald testified.
When Senior Deputy District Attorney Aleta Bryant asked him how he felt in the moment, Ronald testified, “disbelief, scared… It was all a blur.”
The victims heard honking and a revving engine outside the home moments before the 2:20 a.m. shooting, prompting Ronald to investigate the source.
Waring was not welcome at the Babb Street home because he had “waved a gun” in front of a girlfriend a few days before, Ronald testified.
Ronald had pulled open a gate in front of the house to confront Waring when Jennifer grabbed his shirt, saying, “Wait, what if he has a gun,” Jennifer testified. “Then I saw the flash of the gun, the bullets.”
About an hour before the shooting, Waring and another woman who lived at the Babb Street house went there to retrieve a phone she left behind, Jennifer testified. Waring was driving the same BMW, she testified.
After Waring’s arrest, police said the BMW had been reported stolen.
Waring, his companion and Ronald were arguing, Jennifer said. Ronald had thrown the personal effects of Waring’s companion out on the street, saying, “Get your (stuff) and go,” Jennifer testified.
After the shooting, police found the BMW in question about 10:30 a.m. in Santa Ana and attempted to get the driver to pull over, police said.
Waring allegedly led police on a chase, crashed the car and then tried to run away, but was finally taken into custody following a brief standoff, police alleged.
Waring’s mother, Lauri Peterson, was a cast member of the Bravo documentary series “The Real Housewives of Orange County” from its debut in 2006 until 2008, when she left to deal with her son’s issues.
–City News Service