Huntington Beach man charged with murder, attempted murder in real estate inspector shooting

A Huntington Beach man was charged with one felony count of murder and three felony counts of attempted murder Tuesday after a shooting involving a real estate matter.

Orange County district attorney’s office spokeswoman Kimberly Edds confirmed that Roger Allen Nemeth, 59, was charged with eight total felony counts after Saturday morning’s shooting in the 4500 block of Operetta Drive. Michael Alderson of Anaheim, 66, died after he was allegedly shot by Nemeth, and three other people were also injured.

Alderson was at the property to perform a real estate inspection, Huntington Beach Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Carey said.

The charges against Nemeth also include four felony counts of discharging a firearm, three of which are discharging a firearm causing great bodily injury or death. The maximum sentence he could receive is 114 years to life, plus 20 years for enhancements, Edds said.

Upon arriving at the scene, officers found three people in front of the residence suffering from gunshot wounds, Capt. Tim Martin said. While officers were assisting the victims, the shooting suspect identified by prosecutors as Nemeth came out of the residence with a superficial gunshot wound.

Alderson died in the hospital. Another shooting victim was treated and released, and the other is still hospitalized but expected to survive. Nemeth is also expected to survive.

The district attorney’s office is not expected to release the names of the other injured victims, Edds said.

Based upon the preliminary investigation, Martin said it is believed the shooting was related to a family dispute pertaining to the upcoming sale of the residence.

“A group of real estate professionals accompanied a family member to view the residence when the shooting took place,” he said.

The HBPD set up a perimeter around the area Saturday, evacuated several homes near the residence and requested assistance from the HBPD SWAT team. The SWAT team performed a sweep of the residence and surrounding area and confirmed no active threat to the community.

Police maintained a presence at the scene with their command post throughout the weekend, Carey said.

According to court records, an arraignment for Nemeth is scheduled for Aug. 31 at 9 a.m.

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