A Florida woman who allegedly opened fire with a rifle on singer Rihanna’s home in the Beverly Crest area of Los Angeles was behind bars Wednesday after being charged with attempted murder and multiple firearms-related offenses.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Theresa R. McGonigle ordered Tuesday that Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 35, remain jailed in lieu of $1.875 million bail and not to have any contact with Rihanna or her partner Rakim “A$AP Rocky” Mayers.
Ortiz is due back in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom March 25 for arraignment.
She is charged with one count of attempted murder involving Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Fenty, along with 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, two counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling and one count of shooting at an inhabited vehicle, along with allegations that she personally and intentionally discharged a rifle, according to the criminal complaint.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters outside the courthouse Tuesday that the Orlando, Fla., woman is accused of driving up to Rihanna’s home in the 9500 block of Heather Road, just west of Beverly Hills, at about 1:20 p.m. Sunday and firing multiple times from her semi-automatic weapon at the residence.
“Rihanna was there with her partner, her three children, her mother and two staff people, representing eight of the 10 of the counts of dealing with an assault with a semi-automatic firearm,” Hochman said, noting that there are two dwellings at Rihanna’s residence, including an Airstream trailer that contained two people — Rihanna and Mayers.
“In addition, Miss Ortiz is accused of firing at a neighboring residence that had two additional individuals,” the district attorney said.
He noted that the locations of the bullets along with Ortiz’s alleged motivation are still under investigation.
“Law enforcement will be looking at any videos on social media, at any additional evidence that they can uncover to both understand her motivation and why she did these particular acts,” Hochman said. “Law enforcement is in the process of gathering all evidence of motivation, any connections between the defendant and Rihanna if any so exist or why this particular defendant decided to open up and shoot her semi-automatic rifle on the afternoon of March 8th.”
Hochman said the woman then traveled through Beverly Hills and eventually ended up in Sherman Oaks, and was arrested “within hours.” He lauded the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills police departments for their prompt actions leading to Ortiz’s arrest.
If convicted, she could face up to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the district attorney said.
“I want everyone to understand in this county that you should absolutely feel safe in your residence and in your neighborhood and in your community,” Hochman said. “When an individual comes into our community and decides to shoot it up, that individual will be arrested and held fully accountable for her actions.”
According to the LAPD, officers responded to an assault with a deadly weapon/shots fired report and met the person who made the call.
After obtaining suspect information, the suspect was located, taken into custody and a weapon was recovered, police said.
LAPD Capt. Mike Bland told reporters at the scene of Sunday’s shooting that the weapon was an AR-15-style rifle.
The suspect was allegedly driving a white Tesla when she stopped across the street from the house Rihanna shares with A$AP Rocky and their three children and opened fire for unknown reasons.
Ortiz was arrested in the parking lot of the Sherman Oaks Galleria about 30 minutes after the gunfire was reported, police said.
Helicopter footage after the shooting showed what appeared to be bullet holes in a gate, as well as the front of the home blocked by yellow crime-scene tape attached to an LAPD SUV.
There were no reports of injuries.
The woman had once been involuntarily committed and lost custody of her then 10-year-old child, TMZ reported.
On what is believed to be Ortiz’s Facebook page, there are multiple videos and posts making reference to celebrities including Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Cardi B.
One post from last February tags Rihanna, and says Ortiz was waiting for the singer “to say something to me directly instead of sneaking around like you talking to me where I’m not at.”
She referenced the singer again in a December post that states, “I’m already threw (sic) with Rihanna, Your turn hiding (expletive), Stop begging for a look.”
In another video, she says Rihanna wants to kill her.