Man Accused of Driving Through Los Angeles Nightclub Crowd Faces 37 Attempted Murder Charges

A convicted felon who allegedly drove his car through a crowd of people outside a Los Angeles nightclub over the weekend has been indicted.

Fernando Ramirez, a 29-year-old resident of San Clemente, is facing 37 attempted murder charges along with 37 counts of assault with a deadly weapon, all classified as felonies. These charges stem from an incident where 37 people were injured in a crash outside the Vermont Hollywood nightclub on Saturday night.

“We acknowledge that this daring act has deeply impacted the community, and it’s only by divine grace that a mass casualty situation was averted,” stated LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, as reported by WPLG.

Ramirez has a lengthy criminal history and was out of prison on parole at the time of the crash. 

According to KNBC, Ramirez was previously convicted of felony battery following an assault on a man outside a Whole Foods in 2019, which led to a prison sentence the subsequent year. It remains uncertain if his release on parole was connected to that particular conviction.

The report said Ramirez has at least “11 criminal cases ranging from misdemeanors to felonies” since 2014, citing the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. 

Officers stand at the site where a man allegedly drove into a crowd in Hollywood, Calif., injuring dozens of people. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

The 2014 charge was gang-related, and Ramirez has a pending 2024 drunk driving case and a pending 2022 domestic violence case that are both unresolved. 

He faces life in prison if convicted on the charges related to the car ramming.