The woman accused of opening fire at Rihanna’s Los Angeles residence has entered a not guilty plea to charges of attempted murder and various other felonies.
Ivanna Ortiz appeared at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on Wednesday, where she faced LA Superior Court Judge Theresa McGonigle.
Ortiz, dressed in a yellow jumpsuit and shackled, wore her hair in a French braid. During her court appearance, she requested a reduction in bail, but the judge denied her request.
Prosecutor Alexander Bott criticized Ortiz’s actions during the hearing, stating the shooting “could have resulted in multiple homicides” and was “calculated and deliberate.”
Bott revealed that Ortiz was found with ammunition and a disguise and was captured on camera. He further noted that she orchestrated the attack, firing 20 shots from a “high-powered rifle” at a home where children were present.
The next preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 8.
The 35-year-old is accused of spraying AR-15 rounds at the singer’s home on March 8. Rihanna and her family was home at the time of the shooting but was not injured.
The brazen daytime shooting unfolded around 1:30 p.m. outside the sprawling property that Rihanna shares with rapper A$AP Rocky and their three young children.
Police said Ortiz, the sole occupant of the vehicle, fled the area but was stopped about three miles away during a traffic stop in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Sherman Oaks.
Investigators later recovered an assault-style rifle from a vehicle linked to the suspect, officials said.
The incident stunned Rihanna.
Insiders revealed Rihanna “doesn’t understand” why her family was targeted. Sources said she “is freaking the f–k out” after the woman shot at her property.
The alleged shooter was obsessed with the pop star.
Ortiz’ social media posts depicted an obsessed stalker who held a vicious grudge against the singer for a raft of bizarre reasons.
In one she says: “Got Rihanna over there all jealous … because how am I … how am I … because her face is the devil. Rihanna’s face is the devil.
“I don’t like her and she’s always trying to steal from me. And she has not ever put out any music to reach people. She only put out her little music so she could do witchcraft …
“And so that she can steal from people. So everybody please stop … don’t listen to her, don’t follow her … because she’s stealing from you.”
Court records also show Ortiz had previously set her sights on another pop star. Ortiz also targeted Billie Eilish weeks before the attack, according to court documents.
Ortiz’s charges include attempted murder with special allegations, 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm (with special allegations) and three counts of shooting into an inhabited dwelling/vehicle.
Her bond was previously set at $10.2 million before being reduced to $1,875,000 and a protective order put in place for both Rihanna and A$AP Rocky. Ortiz could face life in prison for her crimes, LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.
