Costa Mesa man charged with attempted murder in grocery store shooting

Rodney Otis Rich, 37, pleaded not guilty in a Santa Ana courtroom to attempted murder and several other felony charges following a shooting outside a Stater Bros. grocery store in Costa Mesa. The incident, which occurred around 7:35 a.m. on Tuesday near the 2100 block of Newport Boulevard, left a store employee with critical injuries and paralysis.

Rich faces multiple felony counts, including assault with a semiautomatic weapon, carrying a stolen loaded firearm in public, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He also faces sentencing enhancements for attempted premeditated murder and causing great bodily injury. Rich is being held without bail, though one report indicates bail was set at $1 million.

Police arrested Rich and his 63-year-old mother, Tammie Sue Walker, at a residence in the 2400 block of Newport Boulevard. Walker faces a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest. Rich has a prior criminal record, including a 2021 guilty plea to misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threats. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for August 28.