The woman accused of shooting at the Beverly Hills home of superstar Rihanna was charged with 14 felonies, including attempted murder, during her first court appearance on Tuesday.
Outside a downtown Los Angeles courthouse, L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman also announced that prosecutors charged 35-year-old Ivanna Ortiz with 10 counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm and three counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or camper.
Hochman said the gunfire struck Rihanna’s home, a camper on the property and another nearby home. He said that Rihanna and her partner, ASAP Rockywere inside the camper when the shooting started.
If convicted as charged, Ortiz faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison, according to Hochman.
A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
“The motivation for Ms. Ortiz is under full investigation,” Hochman said. “Law enforcement will be looking at any videos on social media, any additional evidence that they can uncover to both understand the motivation and why she did these particular acts.”
In her first court appearance on Tuesday, Ortiz’s arraignment was postponed to March 25, and her bail was amended to $1.875 million.
LAPD officers were called to the Beverly Crest neighborhood home around 1:15 p.m. on Sunday after receiving reports of a shootingthe LAPD said.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell Tuesday provided new details regarding the investigation, revealing that 10 people were inside the home when multiple gunshots were fired.
McDonnell added that officers believe Ortiz drove from Florida to L.A., but it is unclear how long she was in the area. They allege she parked her car outside the home and fired seven gunshots before speeding away.
The chief said a witness provided police with a description of the suspect vehicle, and with the help of automated license plate readers and an LAPD helicopter, officers were able to locate the suspect. Her vehicle was found about eight miles away from Rihanna’s home, at the Sherman Oaks Galleria shopping center. Ortiz was taken into custody without incident, McDonnell said.
The LAPD recovered the weapon used during the shooting. They also said that seven “assault rifle casings” were found at the home.
Through its investigation, the LAPD found a series of strange posts on Ortiz’s social media mentioning Rihanna. In one post on X, she mentioned the singer and said, “Are you there? … say something to me directly instead of sneaking around like you talking to me where I’m not at.”
And in videos on what appeared to be her YouTube account, Ortiz ranted about the singer, and was also fixated on other celebrities.
According to court records, Ortiz was previously arrested for domestic violence in 2023. She also recently sought an injunction to block a Billie Eilish concert in Florida.
CBS LA has reached out to an attorney that Ortiz said represents her in a YouTube video and her family, but has not received any responses.
With the Academy Awards show on Sunday, Hochman assured celebrities that they should not be worried about their safety.
“Opening fire in any populated neighborhood is extremely dangerous, puts lives at risk and will be fully prosecuted,” Hochman said. “Thankfully, no one was injured in this shooting, but this careless violence will not be tolerated in our community. Such shooters will find their next destination to be our jails and prisons.”
Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, rose to fame in the early 2000s with mega-hits like “Pon de Replay” and “Umbrella.” Since then, she has built her musical career into a business empire under her Fenty brand. She has her own cosmetics, fashion and lingerie lines. She has been with her partner, rapper ASAP Rocky, since 2020, and they share two sons and a daughter.