Pro-Trump woman shot dead in Capitol riots harassed husband's ex
The woman shot dead after storming the Capitol on Wednesday also harassed, chased and rammed her husband’s ex with her SUV in 2016, court documents obtained by DailyMail.com claim.
Ashli Babbitt, 35, was accused of lying in wait for her then-boyfriend’s ex, chasing her down a Maryland highway in her SUV and deliberately rear-ending her three times in an apparent fit of jealousy.
The ex, Celeste Norris, wrote an affidavit supporting criminal charges over the alleged attack in 2016 – though Babbitt was later acquitted.
Norris, 39, also filed for a restraining order against Babbitt the day of the car crash in July 2016, and asked the court for a second one seven months later, claiming the late Air Force veteran had been filing false police reports against her, lying under oath in court, and harassing her with midnight phone calls. The restraining orders were upheld.
Babbitt, described by friends as a ‘boisterous firecracker’, was charged with reckless endangerment, malicious property damage and dangerous driving.
She was acquitted of the first charge and found not guilty of the others.
The 35-year-old, who served in the Air Force for 11 years, was shot by Capitol Police while she tried to climb through a window into the congressional chambers amid a mob that broke into the federal building Wednesday.
Ashli Babbitt, the woman shot dead after storming the Capitol on Wednesday, also harassed, chased and rammed her husband’s ex with her SUV in 2016, court documents obtained by DailyMail.com claim
The ex, Celeste Norris, wrote an affidavit supporting criminal charges over the alleged attack in 2016 – though Babbitt was later acquitted. Norris, 39, also filed for a restraining order against Babbitt the day of the car crash in July 2016, and asked the court for a second one seven months later, claiming the late Air Force veteran had been filing false police reports against her, lying under oath in court, and harassing her with midnight phone calls
Ashli Babbitt, 35, was accused of lying in wait for her then-boyfriend’s, Aaron Babbit (pictured together) ex, chasing her down a Maryland highway in her SUV and deliberately rear-ending her three times
Norris’ July 2016 affidavit reveals Babbitt was dating her future husband and former marine Aaron Babbitt for over two years before her then-husband, Air Force Staff Sergeant Tim McEntee, filed for divorce from her
As well as telling a disturbing story of stalking and violence, Norris’ July 2016 affidavit reveals Babbitt was dating her future husband and former marine Aaron Babbitt for over two years before her then-husband, Air Force Staff Sergeant Tim McEntee, filed for divorce from her.
According to Norris’ affidavit, Babbitt began following her in a white Ford Explorer as she left a shopping center in Prince Frederick, Maryland on July 29, 2016.
‘She was waving erratically, and beeping the horn and appeared to be very angry,’ Norris wrote.
‘I know McEntee to be in a relationship with my former
boyfriend. I observed in my driver’s side mirror McEntee make a U-turn, cutting several cars off and driving towards Prince Frederick Blvd in my direction.’
Norris, a construction inspector for Maryland State Highway Administration, claimed Babbitt was ‘swerving from left to right on the roadway’ trying to get around traffic to get closer to her grey Ford Escape by mounting the shoulder.
‘Through my passenger side window I watched McEntee continuing to drive on the shoulder,’ the affidavit said. ‘I observed her continuously waving her arms and yelling in my direction in a threatening manner.
‘I was fearful that she was attempting to hit me with her vehicle. I attempted to speed up to get away from McEntee. She again drove to the shoulder of the roadway and it appeared she was attempting to cut me off.
‘I then slowed down in an attempt to let her around me. As I slowed down she drove back into the roadway and then struck the rear of my vehicle. I felt the impact of her striking my vehicle three times.’
According to Norris’ affidavit, Babbitt began following her in a white Ford Explorer as she left a shopping center in Prince Frederick, Maryland on July 29, 2016. ‘She was waving erratically, and beeping the horn and appeared to be very angry,’ Norris wrote
Norris, a construction inspector for Maryland State Highway Administration, claimed Babbitt was ‘swerving from left to right on the roadway’ trying to get around traffic to get closer to her grey Ford Escape by mounting the shoulder
Residency records show she was living with Norris and her future husband, former Marine Sergeant Aaron Babbitt, at the time. Babbitt traveled to Washington DC from her home in California alone, without her husband (who is pictured above)
In July 2016 Maryland prosecutors charged Babbitt with two criminal misdemeanours of reckless endangerment and malicious destruction of property, and the traffic violation of wilfully tampering with a vehicle without the owner’s consent
Maryland court records show the woman had run-ins with law enforcement before – despite being a respected 14-year Air Force veteran, described as a ‘boisterous firecracker’ by a fellow soldier
Babbitt was also subject to another temporary peace order filed against her in February 2017
While Norris called 911, Babbitt got out of her car and started ‘screaming’ and ‘verbally threatening’ her, the affidavit said.
‘She was screaming at me to get out of my vehicle. I advised the 911 operator I was fearful of McEntee, she was acting very erratic. I remained inside of my vehicle. I was fearful she would attempt to physically harm me.’
A St Mary’s County Commissioner wrote down the statement for Norris who ‘was shaking and unable to print legibly’ in the hours after the alleged attack.
In February 2017 Norris filed a second petition for a peace order against Babbitt, claiming the veteran 113th Security Forces Squadron officer had been making false police reports and even lied in her trial over the alleged road rage crash the year before.
‘She followed me on my way home from work,’ Norris wrote. ‘I received multiple blocked calls all hours of day and night,’ Norris wrote. ‘I am still getting medical treatment from the accident.
‘She has filed malicious and false reports as well as continued false accusations against me of which their lack of authenticity has been verified, proven to have no merit, and her testimony in court has proven to be malicious, contradicting, and harassing.’
Norris wrote in the filing that Babbitt lied on the stand, claiming Norris backed into her on the highway in 2016 rather than the veteran deliberately rear-ending her.
‘She has lied in court in August 2016, stating I hit backed into her car causing the accident, however in December 2016 when she was in court for criminal charges she stated in sworn testimony that she hit me,’ the court document said. ‘My testimony has never changed.
‘Her continued efforts to disrupt my life, all I want is my life back and to move forward without having to worry about these attacks.
‘Without a peace order I am fearful that she will cause other car accidents, intentional bodily harm.’
An unidentified loved one sent Babbitt a portentous text message as she flew to DC for the protest, according to an apparent screenshot from her phone shared on social media. ‘Be safe. I cannot lose you,’ the sender wrote
Video showed Babbitt climbing through a broken window seconds before she was shot
A 2014 journal for Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, east of Washington DC, said Babbitt joined the Air Force in 2006 and had been deployed eight times.
Her uncle in her hometown of San Diego told DailyMail.com on Thursday that Babbitt signed up straight after high school and served 11 years, meaning she left her military job in 2017, around the time of the criminal court case against her.
Babbitt then moved from Maryland to San Diego that year and set up her pool cleaning company, Fowlers Pool Service and Supply.
Maryland court records show Babbitt’s first husband Timothy McEntee, who she met while stationed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, filed for divorce in August 2018.
However, Norris’ affidavit claims that Babbitt was already dating her ex Aaron Babbitt by July 2016.
Residency records show Babbitt lived with Aaron in Huntingtown, Maryland at the time of the alleged car attack.
Norris is also on residency records at Aaron’s Huntingtown home from 2010, and a post from a friend on his Facebook page in 2011 says ‘hope Celeste is good to you!’
Court documents show that by July 2016 Norris had split with Aaron and moved to Hollywood, Maryland.
A veteran who served with Babbitt described her as a ‘boisterous firecracker’.
‘I deployed with Ashli McEntee in 2014,’ the former Airman wrote on twitter, posting a picture of herself with the killed pro-Trump protester.
‘She was a boisterous firecracker, who was always trying to be in the thick of things. Loud, cocky, braggadocious, but likeable. She deployed 9 times, today she was shot in the throat by Capitol Police while unarmed.’
