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What a difference a day makes -- Elizabeth Lyn Vargas is looking totally cheerful 24 hours after a terrifying experience where she feared she might be killed by an ex.

Check out these pics of the 'RHOC' star Wednesday outside her Newport Beach home ... where just yesterday her ex-boyfriend was armed and threatening her life. As you can see, she's all smiles now as she hangs out with a friend and her dog.

Looks like ELV was chatting up a guy -- possibly a neighbor -- just before or after walking her husky pooch. Whatever they were discussing, he got her to LOL ... no small feat considering the ordeal she just survived.

Like we told you, Liz had to get the cops involved after claiming the guy, who she'd briefly dated, started acting erratically -- constantly following her around, and allegedly asking for money. Things came to a head Tuesday, and she felt compelled to report it to cops as attempted extortion.

The situation escalated when the guy showed up armed at her home -- allegedly roughing her up before letting her go ... but barricading himself in the home in a standoff with police.

Cops say 33-year-old Ryan Geraghty was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, felon in possession of a firearm and extortion for the incident.

Elizabeth Lyn Vargas is traumatized, but lucky to be alive after the terrifying situation at her Newport Beach home in which she was allegedly held at gunpoint.

A source close to the former "RHOC" star tells us Vargas had briefly dated a man in the area who quickly became obsessed with her. We're told he'd show up to her home, and places where she frequented ... and recently asked for money.

Our sources say Vargas occasionally helped the man out financially, but his financial demands had recently gotten more aggressive.

We're told Vargas decided she needed to call the police Tuesday to report him for extortion, and to tell officers she believed the man was coming to her house at some point that day.

Cops responded to Vargas' home, and we're told they spoke to her and decided to watch the property from a distance. However, the ex was still able to get inside -- our sources say he was armed, roughed Elizabeth up and would not let her leave.

Finally, Liz was let go -- she exited wearing a white robe -- but the man remained inside the home ... only to surrender to police a short time later.

Elizabeth Vargas' home is seeing lots of police activity ... we're told her ex-boyfriend barricaded himself inside after she called cops, and now one person is in custody.

Sources close to the 'RHOC' star tell TMZ ... she’s been having ongoing issues with an ex-boyfriend and called cops Tuesday to report him for possible extortion. We’re told the guy showed up at Liz’s home when police were there and barricaded himself inside.

Our law enforcement sources tell us one person is in custody ... but we're told they’re sweeping the place just to be sure no one else is inside the home.

As you see, there were at least 7 police officers outside Liz's place on the strand in Newport Beach ... and there's a guy in handcuffs at the side of a police car.

It sounds like a pretty scary situation for Liz ... but we're told she was not held hostage and was not harmed during the standoff.

Jermall Charlo is off the hook in his robbery case ... the case was just dismissed based on insufficient evidence, TMZ Sports has learned.

Court records show the 3 robbery charges Charlo was hit with following an alleged altercation at a San Antonio bar last year were dismissed on Monday. The records list the reasoning as "insufficient evidence."

It's a big deal for Charlo ... who was accused of being a complete jerk to a waitress the day before his brother, Jermell Charlo, fought Brian Castaño in San Antonio last July.

Police, in an incident report, said Jermall was with a big group when the waitress came over with the bill. Cops say Jermall handed over his credit card and ID, but said the card was declined despite multiple attempts to run it.

Officers said in the docs Jermall eventually became upset over it all and took two bill collection binders from the waitress, nabbing everything from the inside of them.

Jermall was eventually arrested ... though his attorney, Kent A Schaffer, tells us he believes video and witnesses from the bar ultimately proved Jermall never did anything wrong.

"Police eventually turned over the surveillance tapes that showed everything that our witnesses said was true," Schaffer tells us. "Jermall never robbed anyone at this nightclub and never used force or threat of force against anyone. We have been saying this the whole time he did nothing wrong."

"We presented the evidence to the ADA who came to the same conclusion -- the surveillance video was a huge part of getting the case dismissed. And the 6 witnesses were also a key factor."

Schaffer continued, "Jermall is ecstatic and training for his next fight -- this is something that has been hanging over his head since August -- he can now get back to fighting instead of worrying about going to trial for something he didn't do."

Kylie Jenner's not the only one dealing with the fallout from one of her obsessed fans ... because cops say they arrested the same guy at one of her neighbor's houses this time around.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... this week a guy named Jrue Mesgan, who was arrested just last month for showing up at Kylie's place and violating a restraining order, was busted again after entering a home super close to Kylie's place in Bev Hills.

We're told when police arrived, Mesgan was arrested for burglary and taken to jail. FYI ... burglary not only requires unlawful entry ... the criminal must also have an intent to steal or commit some other felony.  Cops aren't saying if Mesgan had such an intent.

Our sources say Kylie's security came over too and recognized the guy ... because he's been to her house on multiple occasions.

Cops sent the case to the D.A. for possible felony prosecution, but the D.A. wasn't into it and sent the case to the L.A. City Attorney, who hit Mesgan with 11 misdemeanors, including trespassing and violation of a court order.

Jonathan Cahill might be able to ditch his life of crime for one of modeling, fashion and money ... at least that's what millions of women eyeing his "Wanted" poster seem to think.

The West Yorkshire Police Department in the U.K. put out a wanted bulletin Thursday, saying, "Can you help us to locate Jonathan Cahill, who has been recalled to prison? He is 37 years old and is believed to be residing in the Wakefield area. Please share our appeal below and contact us if you can help our officers to locate him."

And, "share our appeal" people did!!! Cahill's mug hit social media like wildfire, along with a flood of pretty hilarious social media comments -- mostly from Cahill's new female fans.

Some of our faves:
"Might leave my doors unlocked and bedroom door open you bad bad man."
"Bloody hell. He'll be smashing a few more back doors in."
"The key's under the pot, Jonathan."
"Does he need a place to hide?"

Of course, Cahill's story bears a striking resemblance to that of Jeremy Meeks ... who rose to fame and landed a very lucrative modeling gig after his mug shot went viral in 2014.

Meeks spent 13 months behind bars on a federal weapons charge, and was released in 2016. Since then, Meeks has walked in shows for Tommy Hilfiger, Philipp Plein and launched a fashion line of his own. He also had a kid with Chloe Green, the daughter of British billionaire Philip Green.

If someone in Spain's looking to reboot "Lethal Weapon," they just found their lead actor ... this off-duty cop who whupped a would-be robber's ass!!!

The hero officer walked into a grocery store in Mataró, Spain, and as surveillance video shows ... stumbled into the armed robbery in progress. Cameras caught the suspect walking an employee to the cash register at knifepoint.

Just as the suspect was cleaning out the register ... the cop walked into frame, sized up the situation and quickly sprung into action.

He casually put down his shopping bag and then subdued the suspect with some wrestling moves, taking him down to the ground.

While holding the guy in a chokehold, you see the cop rip the knife away from the suspect ... who he detained until backup arrived.

Taylor Swift's properties are a magnet for strange incidents ... the latest ending with a man arrested early Thursday morning after cops say he crashed his car into her NYC building.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a man was busted after driving the wrong way down Taylor's street ... then reversing and striking the building and a fire hydrant.

We're told the guy got out of the car and went to the intercom, trying to rip it out of the wall ... mumbling about Taylor. As you see, the intercom wires are sticking out every which way.

Our sources say someone called 911 and when NYPD arrived officers took the man into custody and took him to a nearby hospital ... presumably for psychiatric evaluation. We're told he's facing potential charges for DWI and criminal mischief. Cops say he was drunk.

It's unclear if Taylor was home at the time.

As we reported ... there's been several men arrested at Taylor's homes all over the country ... from Rhode Island to New York to Bev Hills.

Cardi B shining light on the death of Lauren Smith-Fields helped spur a criminal investigation in Connecticut ... so says the girl's family, who is applauding the singer.

Smith-Fields' family attorney Darnell Crosland tells TMZ ... Cardi was instrumental in getting Lauren's tragic death to become a criminal case, because police launched their investigation only after Cardi spoke out.

As you know ... 23-year-old Lauren died while on a date, back in December, with a man she met on a dating app. The medical examiner announced Monday Lauren died from an accidental drug overdose, which the family questioned ... and as public pressure continued to mount, police finally said Tuesday they were opening a criminal probe.

The family's attorney says Cardi B's Sunday night tweet calling for "Justice for Lauren" -- and accusing Connecticut of failing her -- brought extra attention and made a big impact ... because there's been a ton of progress ever since.

A Texas home owned by NBA YoungBoy -- where his mother currently lives -- became the target of an intense SWAT raid ... resulting in the arrests of 3 men and the seizure of multiple weapons.

A spokesperson for the Harris Co. Sheriff's Office tells TMZ, SWAT officers served a warrant at the property Tuesday morning. We're told NBA Youngboy purchased the home, and his mom, Sherhonda Gaulden, lives there ... although it's unclear if she was home when cops arrived.

Neither YoungBoy or his mother were arrested ... but cops call the 3 men who were busted associates of YoungBoy. We're told they were arrested on charges ranging from aggravated robbery to aggravated assault.

The Sheriff spokesperson, Thomas Gilliland, tells TMZ the arrests are related to the November shooting. Cops say the man was shot multiple times in the body and head, but survived and is out of the hospital now.

We're told the SWAT team also seized weapons, including AR-15s, pistols and long guns.

Ryan Lochte is reflecting on the 2016 gas station incident in Brazil that changed his life forever ... saying he was so distraught over it all, he at one point felt like the worst man in the world.

Lochte -- a 12-time Olympic medalist -- joined ex-NFL QB Jay Cutler on his "Uncut" podcast this week ... and the two discussed the infamous incident that landed him in hot water.

"I had rude awakenings," Lochte says, "being where everyone loved me and I was on top of the world, I felt like." "And then in one stupid night ... gone. I was like the worst guy in the world or something at one point."

Remember, Ryan claimed he and other U.S. swimmers had been robbed at gunpoint at a gas station during the world's biggest sporting event.

After looking into Lochte's allegations, Brazilian authorities ultimately charged him with filing a false police report ... but he claims -- aside from one detail -- he was telling the truth.

"They did the investigation," Lochte said. "I didn't do anything wrong. What I said was right. The only thing I fabricated was when the gun was pointed to me, I said it was pointed to my head, but it was like three or four feet away."

The swimmer's lawyer told USA Today Sports a few months ago that the charges against Lochte had been dropped ... after a judge ruled Brazilian prosecutors could not prove their case.

Lochte later returned to the pool after serving a suspension, but failed to qualify for the 2021 Olympics.

"That was very tough," Ryan said. Throughout my whole swimming career and everything I've been through, I never went through depression."

"It was one of the hardest things besides 2016 ... was just waking up and looking myself in the mirror like, 'Damn, I'm a failure.'"

Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes has been hit with 12 misdemeanor charges in Los Angeles -- including domestic violence and using violence against a police officer -- all stemming from an incident involving Jaxson, his GF, and police.

TMZ Sports has learned 21-year-old Hayes was charged by the city attorney in L.A. County ... 6 months after he tussled with police.

Hayes has been charged with 12 counts ... including inflicting corporal injury (domestic violence charge), destroying property, use of force, resisting a police officer, using force and violence against an LAPD member, amongst other charges.

Remember, back in July 2021, Hayes' girlfriend alerted her cousin that Jaxson was acting erratically, and the GF was worried for her safety.

LAPD responded to the L.A. home where Hayes was staying. However, Hayes wouldn't allow them inside ... and a struggle ensued. Jaxson appears to push an officer into a wall -- sustaining an injury to his arm.

One officer used his Taser ... and Hayes -- the 8th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft -- was finally taken into custody.

During the arrest, Hayes claimed he couldn't breathe. The claim sparked a use of force investigation within the LAPD.

The results of that investigation are not yet known.

Garrett Hedlund is accused of some pretty troubling behavior before being arrested for public intoxication, and some -- including police -- believe he's a danger to himself and others.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the man who called police on Garrett leading up to his Saturday night arrest also told cops the actor tried jumping out of a car earlier in the day.

In the docs, police say the man also told them Garrett had kicked him and swung on him ... although cops note the man did not want to press criminal charges.

TMZ broke the story ... Garrett was arrested for public intoxication late Saturday in Tennessee and eventually released from custody on a $2,100 bond.

In the docs, police say they got a call around 10:30 PM for a disturbance ... with a man claiming Garrett was banging on the rear door of a building.

Cops say Garrett appeared to be intoxicated and reeked of booze, slurred his speech and didn't follow the officers' commands.

Police say Garrett told them he was trying to get some stuff back that he left inside the building. In the docs, cops say their investigation led them to believe Garrett was in fact intoxicated and a danger to himself and others, placing him under arrest for public intoxication and even stating in the report that he had caused "unreasonable annoyance."

Things are looking down for Garrett ... he recently broke up with Emma Roberts, with whom he has one child, and he's also being sued for a car crash he allegedly caused before his January 2020 DUI arrest.

A completely nude Malik McDowell aggressively charged at an officer before he was arrested on Monday ... hitting the cop with full force -- new video shows.

The clip, recorded by a bystander who was just feet from the altercation in Deerfield Beach, FL, shows McDowell was extremely aggressive before he was taken into custody.

You can see McDowell -- a 6-foot-6, 290-pound Cleveland Browns defensive lineman -- sprinted at full speed toward the officer, eventually making contact with the man's chest.

McDowell then appeared to throw punches at the cop ... before shoving him through a bush. McDowell then seemed to take off.

As we reported, officers in police docs say they eventually used a taser to subdue McDowell -- before arresting him.

Cops tell TMZ Sports McDowell was then taken to a local hospital for treatment and evaluation before he was ultimately booked into jail on three charges.

A woman frantically hurried kids into lockdown while NFL player Malik McDowell was roaming naked nearby ... new 911 audio, obtained by TMZ Sports, reveals.

In a call to dispatch ... a female can be heard on the line saying a man -- later identified as Cleveland Browns defensive lineman McDowell -- was "naked walking the premises" in Deerfield Beach, Fla.

The call is redacted, so it's unclear where the woman exactly is, but it seems she's calling from the school that cops say McDowell had walked near before his arrest on Monday afternoon.

"You're going to go into lockdown," the woman can be heard saying on the call. "You're going to have to take these kids into the bathroom, OK? Yes. One-by-one."

The woman then told dispatch McDowell was "out front."

"He's just walking up and down in front of the building," she added ... "He's completely naked."

At another point during the call, the woman can be heard again appearing to rush kids into lockdown, saying, "Whitney, help them get into their safe places!"

Two other callers, meanwhile, urged dispatch to get cops out to the scene ASAP ... describing McDowell as fully nude.

As we reported, cops say they were able to eventually tase McDowell at the scene and take him into custody. In video of the arrest, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see McDowell was completely naked while interacting with cops.

McDowell was ultimately booked on charges of aggravated battery on an officer, resisting and exposing sex organs in public.

The Browns released a statement on the arrest on Tuesday, saying, "We are aware of the very concerning incident and arrest involving Malik McDowell and are in the process of gathering more information."

"We understand the severity of this matter and our thoughts are for the well-being of all involved. … No further comment at this time."

There's been a break in the investigation into the Brianna Kupfer murder case in Los Angeles ... law enforcement says they've identified a suspect.

The Los Angeles Police Department says the man is 31-year-old Shawn Laval Smith and he's now wanted in connection with Brianna's murder.

Cops released a mug shot of the suspect Tuesday and say Smith should be considered armed and dangerous. LAPD says he's been all over Southern California recently and is likely to be using public transportation.

Brianna, a grad student at UCLA, was murdered Thursday while working at a furniture store in what cops are calling a random daytime attack.

Police say Smith did not know Brianna and they do not have a motive. Cops say the suspect attacked Brianna with a knife and fled the store using the back door.