The exterior of Rihanna's residence is shown Monday, March 9, in Beverly Hills, Calif. AP-Yonhap
LOS ANGELES — A Florida woman accused of firing gunshots at Rihanna’s home in Los Angeles was charged Tuesday with one count of attempted murder and other felony offenses including 10 counts of assault on a person with a semiautomatic firearm.
The district attorney’s office said 35-year-old Ivanna Lisette Ortiz was charged in the shooting Sunday afternoon outside the superstar’s gated home in the Beverly Hills area. No one was hurt and it was not clear if the Grammy award-winning performer was home at the time.
Court records show Ortiz also was charged with three counts of shooting at an inhabited vehicle or dwelling. All 14 counts are felonies, and she was quickly brought into court Tuesday afternoon for an expected arraignment.
Deputy Public Defender Jamarcus Bradford, Ortiz's attorney, at first entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf, but then withdrew it in favor of postponing arraignment until March 25. She was ordered held on $1.8 million bail. Ortiz wore blue jail clothes with her blond hair in braids and spoke to her lawyer through a glass divider.
The judge issued a protective order for Ortiz to stay away from Robin Fenty and Rakim Mayers — the legal names of Rihanna and her partner A$AP Rocky — and their home. The judge also said she is not allowed to possess any firearms or ammunition along with several other conditions.
Barbadian singer and actress Rihanna attends the 95th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 12, 2023. AFP-Yonhap
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell told media gathered for a news conference on a different subject earlier Tuesday that 10 people were at home at the time. He identified the house as Rihanna's, but he did not say whether she, her partner A$AP Rocky or their three children were home when the shots were fired.
McDonnell said investigators believe Ortiz drove to the area from Florida, but it's not clear when. Public records show her most recent address was in Orlando and that she has been a licensed speech pathologist for more than a decade.
Authorities have not said if she has any connection to Rihanna.
Source: Korea Times News
