A grand jury has indicted Ivanna Lisette Ortiz on 14 felony counts, including attempted murder. The Florida resident is accused of driving across the country to fire a rifle at Rihanna and A$AP Rocky‘s home. Bullets hit a trailer while the celebrity couple was inside and a nursery where their kids were.
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The indictment against 36-year-old Ivanna Lisette Ortiz was unsealed Wednesday (Sept. 30) by a Los Angeles County judge. Ortiz appeared in court wearing yellow jail clothes and spoke only to her attorney. The lawyer entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf. Then, the judge ordered Ivanna held on $2.6 million bail. This move came a day after another judge ruled that Ortiz is mentally competent to stand trial.
The secret grand jury proceedings occurred as Ortiz was undergoing months of psychiatric evaluation. The jurors returned their indictment on June 18, but it was kept under wraps for three months until the judge ruled on her competency. Now, a case that appeared stalled — possibly permanently — is on a fast track to trial.
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Details About The Shooting Incident
No one was injured in the March 8 shooting. Authorities allege Ivanna Lisette Ortiz drove a Tesla up to the gates of the Beverly Hills-area property of Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, pointed an AR-15 style rifle out the window and fired at least 20 rounds toward the property and the neighboring house.
“This is a person who wanted to kill Rihanna,” Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott said outside court. “Everyone else was collateral damage.”
Bullets tore through the Airstream trailer, according to a police report. Shots also struck the wall of their home’s nursery where their three small children were with their nanny. Rihanna’s mother and several staffers also were in the home. Also, authorities say she also fired shots toward a neighbor’s house. Investigators said that on the day of her arrest, Ortiz told them: “I wasn’t attempting murder.”
Prosecutors have not said anything about a motive or cited any connection between Rihanna and Ortiz. She’s reportedly a longtime licensed speech pathologist with no prior criminal record.
What Does Her Indictment Say?
Ivanna Lisette Ortiz was previously charged in March with Rihanna’s attempted murder and more than a dozen other felony charges. The new indictment supersedes those charges, which a judge dismissed Wednesday. The secret grand jury proceedings allow prosecutors to skip California’s preliminary hearing process, where evidence must be presented publicly to see if a trial is merited.
Additionally, the indictment charges Ortiz with 10 counts of assault with an assault weapon — one for each of the people on the two properties — and three counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or camper. It names the couple’s three children Rza, Riot and Rocki, all under age 5, as victims. The assault weapon counts carry a stiffer sentence than the original charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. She could get life in prison if convicted of all counts.
Officials sealed the reports on the psychiatric evaluations that paused the case shortly after it began. Also, there was no public discussion of the details of her mental state.
Ivanna’s Lawyer Has Remained Silent
Meanwhile, Deputy Public Defender Derek Dillman, Ortiz’s attorney, did not speak to reporters outside the courtroom. Also, the public defender’s office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment about the indictment, according to AP. Aside from her not-guilty pleas, her lawyers have not publicly addressed the charges, saying only that they would work to defend her rights.
RELATED: Florida Man Arrested And Charged For Attempted Murder After Allegedly Shooting At Woman In Courthouse Parking Garage
Associated Press Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
