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NEWPORT BEACH (CNS) - A 33-year-old man was behind bars today for allegedly assaulting a former ``Real Housewives of Orange County'' cast member inside her Newport Beach home, leaving the woman ``traumatized.''
Ryan Matthew Geraghty of Los Angeles was being held without bail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, extortion and a felon in possession of a firearm, according to Newport Beach police.
Police were called to perform a welfare check about 5:45 p.m. Tuesday in the 100 block of Medina Way, where a suspect was determined to be holed up inside, prompting a standoff. After about two hours, officers made their way inside the home and police said they found the armed suspect ``actively threatening the life of the victim'' -- who was identified by her manager as Elizabeth Lyn Vargas.
The suspect was taken into custody. Police said that after speaking with the victim, officers evacuated some surrounding homes while they secured the home. After conducting a search of the residence, the evacuations were lifted and no other suspects were found, police said.
Vargas' manager, David Weintraub, issued a statement to multiple media outlets Wednesday saying Vargas is ``doing fine'' but was ``extremely traumatized by the events that happened yesterday in her home.''
``She was held captive for a number of hours and is extremely thankful to the Newport Beach Police Department, who was able to rescue her and get her out of harm's way,'' Weintraub said in the statement. ``She spent the entire night with the Newport Beach Police Department going over what exactly happened and she is just glad to be safely out of that situation.''
He said security would be beefed up around Vargas' home.
Several media outlets, including Page Six and ABC7, reported that Vargas and Geraghty had briefly dated, and she feared that he may have been attempting to extort her.