A Costa Mesa man was charged Thursday with shooting a Stater Bros. employee, paralyzing the victim, outside the grocery store this week.
Rodney Otis Rich, 37, was charged with attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a loaded stolen gun in public, possession of a gun and ammunition by a felon, all felonies. He was also charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest and faces sentencing enhancements for attempted premeditated murder, discharge of a gun causing great bodily injury and causing paralysis to a victim.
Rich’s mother, 63-year-old Tamie Sue Walker was charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest.
The shooting occurred about 7:35 a.m. Tuesday near a Stater Bros. store at 2180 Newport Blvd., according to Roxi Fyad of the Costa Mesa Police Department.
The victim was taken to a hospital in critical condition and he was expected to survive, Fyad said.
After an extensive search of the area, police tracked the suspect to the 2400 block of Newport Boulevard, where he resides, and arrested him and his mother.
Rich pleaded guilty Dec. 8, 2021, to misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon — a knife — and criminal threats.
Rich pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in the jail courtroom in Santa Ana on Thursday. He was ordered to return to court for a pretrial hearing Aug. 28 in the West Justice Center. His bail was set at $1 million.