The short version
- Ivanna Lisette Ortiz faces fourteen felony counts, including attempted murder and multiple assaults with an assault weapon, following a shooting incident in March.
- The case has moved forward rapidly after a judge determined Ortiz is mentally competent to proceed, ending months of psychiatric evaluation that had stalled the proceedings.
- Prosecutors allege Ortiz targeted Rihanna specifically, while bullets also struck areas where the couple’s three young children and other household members were present.
A Los Angeles County grand jury has indicted Ivanna Lisette Ortiz on fourteen felony counts related to a shooting incident at the Beverly Hills residence of singer Rihanna and rapper A$AP Rocky. The unsealed indictment marks a significant acceleration in a case that had been paused for months while authorities evaluated Ortiz’s mental state. A judge recently ruled that Ortiz, a 36-year-old speech pathologist from Orlando, Florida, is mentally competent to stand trial, allowing prosecutors to bypass the preliminary hearing process and move directly toward a trial date.
The charges include one count of attempted murder and ten counts of assault with an assault weapon. Additionally, Ortiz faces three counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or camper. The indictment names Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, their three young children, Rihanna’s mother, and several staff members as victims. Prosecutors have indicated that the use of an assault weapon carries stiffer penalties than the original charges filed in March, which involved semiautomatic firearms. If convicted on all counts, Ortiz could face a life sentence.
Authorities allege that on March 8, Ortiz drove a Tesla to the gates of the celebrity couple’s property. According to police reports, she pointed an AR-15 style rifle out of her vehicle window and fired at least twenty rounds toward the home and a neighboring house. Bullets penetrated an Airstream trailer where Rihanna and Rocky were located and struck the wall of a nursery where their three children, all under the age of five, were present with a nanny. No one was injured in the attack.
Rihanna provided testimony to investigators shortly after the incident, describing hearing loud banging sounds that she initially mistook for something hitting metal. She stated that she pulled Rocky off a bed and onto the ground before opening curtains to see bullet marks on the windshield near where she had been standing. Both Rihanna and her mother, Monica Fenty, testified before the grand jury, as did Hollywood agent Tracey Jacobs. Their testimony remains under seal but is expected to become public in approximately two weeks unless the defense successfully petitions the judge to keep it confidential.
Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott characterized the attack as a targeted attempt on Rihanna’s life, stating that everyone else present was collateral damage. The prosecution has not disclosed a specific motive or established any prior connection between Ortiz and the victims. However, investigators noted that Ortiz posted increasingly angry comments about Rihanna on social media platforms in the months leading up to the shooting. Some of these posts contained threatening language, with Ortiz at one point referring to the singer as a devil.
The legal proceedings had been stalled since shortly after Ortiz’s arrest due to concerns regarding her mental health. She underwent months of psychiatric evaluation during which the details of her condition were kept from the public. The secret grand jury proceedings allowed prosecutors to secure the indictment on June 18, but it was withheld until the competency ruling was finalized. This strategic move ensures that the case, which appeared potentially stalled indefinitely, is now on a fast track to trial.
Ortiz appeared in court wearing yellow jail clothing and spoke only to her attorney, who entered not guilty pleas on her behalf. The judge ordered her held on $2.6 million bail. Her defense team has not publicly addressed the charges beyond stating their intention to defend her rights. During her arrest, Ortiz reportedly told investigators that she was not attempting murder. The new indictment supersedes the similar counts filed in March, consolidating the legal framework for the upcoming trial.
The case highlights the intense security concerns surrounding high-profile individuals and their families. The presence of young children in the nursery at the time of the shooting has drawn particular attention from prosecutors, who emphasized the danger posed to the household members. As the trial date approaches, the focus will shift to the evidence presented by both sides, including the sealed testimony of the victims and the psychiatric evaluations that initially delayed the proceedings.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- PBS NewsHour↗Woman accused of firing at Rihanna's home indicted on attempted murder with assault weapon
