Attempted-murder trial to start for son of former ‘Real Housewife’ but defense wants a delay
The attempted-murder trial for the son of former “Real Housewives of Orange County” star Lauri Peterson could begin Thursday, according to Orange County Superior Court records.
Joshua Waring, 28, faces three counts of attempted murder in connection with a shooting in June outside a home in Costa Mesa. He also faces one count of unlawfully discharging a firearm at an inhabited dwelling, three counts of assault with a firearm, a count of vehicle theft, a count of shooting at another person from a motor vehicle and a count of evading police while driving recklessly, all felonies.
He also faces misdemeanor charges of hit-and-run with property damage, resisting an officer and battery, along with possible sentencing enhancements on allegations of personal use of a firearm and inflicting great bodily injury, according to the criminal complaint filed in Superior Court.
Waring could face multiple life sentences if convicted at trial.
Deputy Alternate Defender Ray Chen, who began representing Waring in January, filed a motion Monday to delay the trial so he has time to prepare Waring’s defense. The motion could be considered in court Thursday.
Chen last week asked Judge Sheila Hanson to delay the trial, but Waring did not agree to that, so the judge scheduled the trial for Thursday, according to court records.
Waring previously had chosen to represent himself in his trial, though Judge W. Michael Hayes cautioned him against it during his preliminary hearing late last year.
“These are long-term sentences,” Hayes said. “So I caution you, think carefully about your future and about your decision.”
Waring was arrested hours after a man was seriously injured in a shooting at a house in the 2900 block of Babb Street in Costa Mesa. The house previously was a sober-living home.
Witnesses told police that Waring had left the house after a confrontation with a resident but returned around 2:30 a.m. June 20 in a BMW X3 belonging to his girlfriend, authorities said. Shots were fired at three people outside, authorities said.
During Waring’s preliminary hearing in November, witnesses described the gunfire and chaos.
“I turned and started to run the other direction, back toward the main house,” a woman identified in the court transcript as Jennifer M. testified during the hearing. “That walkway was like a shooting gallery. It was horrible.”
Waring’s girlfriend, identified in the transcript as Hailey, testified that though she often lent her car to Waring, she had indicated the night before the shooting that he was not allowed to use it if he was going to pick up another woman whom Hailey disliked. Waring picked up the woman that night against Hailey’s wishes, so she reported the car stolen the next morning, she testified.
About eight hours after the shooting, an Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter crew saw the BMW, and police pursued it through Santa Ana before it crashed into another vehicle, police said.
Santa Ana police said in court that Waring fled on foot and hid in the restroom of a nearby business before surrendering to officers.
Waring testified that he fled from police because he was heading to pick up drugs.
Waring has a criminal history in Orange County that includes convictions on felony drug charges and several misdemeanors, including hit-and-run in 2008, battery in 2009, possession of drug paraphernalia in 2009 and drug possession and resisting a peace officer in 2015.
He also has an open case related to felony drug and forgery charges, to which he pleaded not guilty in May.
Waring’s mother was a cast member of Bravo’s 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.
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
