The Newport Beach Police Department arrested Ryan Matthew Geraghty on Feb. 1 for holding his ex-girlfriend and reality star Elizabeth Lyn Vargas at gunpoint in her Los Angeles residence. According to the NBPD, Geraghty threatened to kill Vargas and held her hostage for money. The offender is now facing 75 years and four months to life if convicted on all of his charges.
The 33-year-old convict has been charged with one count of extortion by force or threat, one count with assault with a firearm, one count of criminal threats, one count of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, one count of grossly negligent discharge of a firearm, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and two enhancements of personally using a firearm, as well as an enhancement where a judge cannot offer probation due to his violent record. He is a third-striker, meaning he was already been charged with previous felonies, with this felony being his third.
Vargas, age 46, was formerly on the reality television show “Real Housewives of Orange County.” Geraghty began extorting Vargas on Christmas Eve of 2021 by threatening to send nude images of her to the media unless she paid him tens of thousands of dollars.
When Vargas refused to give Geraghty money and threatened to remove him from her life, he allegedly punched her in the face. At another time, Geraghty pointed a gun to her face and threatened to kill her. He then allegedly proceeded to force her into buying him a BMW.
Geraghty allegedly shot a gun into the ceiling of Vargas’ home on Jan. 31 while she hid in the closet. The following day, he called Vargas and accused her of stealing his car when she stopped payments for it. He then proceeded to enter her home with a gun threatening to kill her.
Vargas called the police the following Tuesday and told them that Geragthy was extorting her.
“Officers were called around 1:50 p.m. to the area of East Balboa Boulevard and Medina Way to investigate ‘a felony crime,’” Newport Beach Police Department spokesperson Heather Rangel said.
Police arrived at Vargas’ home for a welfare check, but could not find a way to enter the residence for two hours. Geraghty continued to hold her at gunpoint, barricadeing her in her home. More local authorities arrived, and a long standoff began as police attempted to remove Vargas from the armed hostage situation without injury.
Police evacuated homes along East Balboa Boulevard, Medina Way, Island Avenue and Coronado Street in order to protect residents from harm’s way. The Crisis Response team closed off the streets and SWAT was also called in to assist.
Video surveillance of Geraghty holding Vargas at gunpoint inside her home has also been released to the public.
“I’m taking you out, and then everybody else. They can shoot me if they want. I don’t give a f**k anymore, I’ve got nothing to lose,” Geraghty said in the video.
“Bring the big boys, how f**king dare you,” he proceeded to say after Vargas told him that she had already reported him to the police.
Vargas was escorted from her home to a nearby fire station, where she was reunited with her dog. They were both sent to a safe location during Geraghty’s arrest. There is a no-contact protective order against Geraghty as well.
The police placed Geraghty into custody without Vargas getting physically harmed. Vargas’ manager, David Weintraub, identified Geraghty. After a thorough search, no other suspects were found.
“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,” Weintraub said in a statement following the standoff.
Geraghty is now being held on a $1 million bail. He made his first court appearance on Feb. 3.
Deputy District Attorney Diana King from the Family Protection Unit is currently prosecuting this case.
“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,” District Attorney Todd Spitzer stated.
Geraghty’s previous two strikes were residential burglaries in Los Angeles. The first burglary occured in June of 2008, and the second in November of 2016.
While the investigation is still ongoing, NBPD encourages anyone with further information on Geraghty or his charges to contact Detective Rick Henry at rhenry@nbpd.org or (949) 644-3797.
Hanna Bulaj is a City News Intern for the winter 2022 quarter. She can be reached at hbulaj@uci.edu.