The woman accused of shooting up Rihanna’s Beverly Hills mansion while she was home with her family pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 14 charges, including attempted murder of the nine-time Grammy winner.
Prosecutors say Ivanna Ortiz, 35, drove to the star’s home March 8 and opened fire on the $13.8 million property with an AR15 assault rifle.
Wearing yellow Los Angeles County Jail overalls, the Orlando, Florida resident was arraigned Wednesday at LA’s downtown criminal court where her attorney, public defender Derek Dillman, entered not guilty pleas to one charge of attempted murder, 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and three of shooting at an inhabited dwelling.
Ortiz – who is facing up to life in prison if convicted – showed no emotion as she stood behind a glass window during the brief court proceeding in which Judge Theresa McGonigle refused Dillman’s request to reduce her bail amount, set at $1.875 million.
Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott argued that the high bail amount should remain, telling the court that Ortiz fired some 20 rounds in the shooting .
‘This could easily have resulted in multiple homicides…of children and adults,’ said Bott who added that the shooting was ‘premeditated’ with Ortiz driving to Rihanna’s home ‘with a loaded weapon, ammunition and a wig as a disguise’.
The woman accused of shooting up Rihanna’s (pictured) Beverly Hills mansion while she was home with her family pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 14 charges, including attempted murder of the nine-time Grammy winner
Prosecutors say Ivanna Ortiz, 35, (pictured) drove to the star’s home March 8 and opened fire on the $13.8 million property with an AR15 assault rifle
Citing ‘the importance of public safety’,’ Judge McGonigle – who didn’t allow photos or video of Ortiz to be taken in court – said that ‘there is clear and convincing evidence’ that the defendant’s bail should stay at $1.875 million.
So Ortiz will remain behind bars until another court hearing the judge scheduled for April 8 when a date will be set for her to have a preliminary hearing.
Miraculously, no one was injured when Ortiz allegedly drove her white Tesla Model 3 to the singer’s luxury five-bedroom home and fired multiple shots into the building and a neighboring house.
Rihanna, 38, her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky and their children, sons RZA and Riot, three and two respectively, and six-month old daughter Rocki were all inside at the time
LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said that the pop diva’s mother and two staff employees were also in the home, totaling eight of the 10 counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm.
The other two counts apply to two neighbors who were inside the nearby house that was also hit by gunfire.
Ortiz – who has a history of prior run-ins with the law – was arrested only about 30 minutes after the shooting when her car wastracked by police helicopter to a parking lot at Sherman Oaks Galleria some 12 miles from Beverly Hills.
The Tesla was reportedly tracked down so quickly thanks in part to how dirty it was.
Wearing yellow Los Angeles County Jail overalls, the Orlando, Florida resident was arraigned Wednesday at LA’s downtown criminal court where her attorney, public defender Derek Dillman, entered not guilty pleas to one charge of attempted murder, 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and three of shooting at an inhabited dwelling; (Ortiz is pictured in a 2023 mugshot)
A licensed speech pathologist who also calls herself a ‘Christian influencer’, Ortiz has been targeting Rihanna in a bizarre and disturbing series of insulting and angry internet posts
She bashed her on Facebook, suggesting the star had spoken negatively about her, though no connection between the two women is known.
And in a video posted in January she said, ‘The way that Rihanna wants to kill me, she’s the one who wants to kill me. The way that Rihanna wants to kill me shows that we’re not going to show this right now, but this is my heart, Lord.
‘I am expecting and waiting in that beautiful time for you to show me what you’re going to do and how you’re going to deliver this promise.
‘Listen, Rihanna, when you die, God is taking me to my future. You want to kill me? Shut up. Okay, shut up. Yeah, she’s a witch. She’s a witch. I’m a watchman. She’s a witch. Get that stupid girl out of here.’
According to one news report, Ortiz lost custody of her 10-year-old child with ex-husband Jed Nikko Valdez Sangalang, in April 2024, a year after she was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric facility under Florida state law, which allows for up to 72-hour voluntary or involuntary holds
A Florida judge reportedly awarded Sangalang full physical custody of their child and Ortiz was barred from all contact with the kid, including in-person meetings, phone calls, video chats, text messages and emails.
In December last year, she filed an appeal to overturn the custody decision.
Read the full article here
