Ivanna Ortiz wanted Rihanna dead and viewed everyone else in the singer’s orbit as disposable, prosecutors said Wednesday after a grand jury indicted the accused shooter on 14 felony counts.
Ortiz, 36, pleaded not guilty through her attorney during a downtown Los Angeles courtroom appearance where she wore a yellow jumpsuit, her hands shackled and long blond bangs framing her face. Her bail was raised to $2.65 million, and she responded “yes” when asked if she agreed to an Oct. 29 return date.
Deputy district attorney Alexander Bott told reporters outside court that the attack was singular in its purpose. “This is a person who wanted to kill Rihanna. Everyone else was collateral damage,” he said.
The indictment, unsealed Wednesday, included 10 upgraded charges from assault with a semi-automatic weapon to assault with an assault weapon. Bott said Ortiz allegedly obtained the rifle used in the crime in Florida, where she had it registered.
Ortiz is accused of firing 20 rounds toward the home from her Tesla on March 8, with Rihanna’s three children — RZA, 4, Riot, 3, and Rocky, 1 — inside the main residence with the singer’s mother. Bullets also struck an Airstream trailer in the driveway where Rihanna and her husband A$AP Rocky were present at the time, according to LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
Police said Ortiz, the sole occupant of the vehicle, fled 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 the vehicle linked to her.
Bott said Ortiz was found with ammunition and a disguise, was caught on camera, and had planned the crime with children present in the targeted dwelling.
The unsealing followed four months of delays after a judge raised concerns about Ortiz’s mental competency. She now faces life in prison if convicted on all charges, Hochman said.
Before the shooting, Ortiz posted a string of unhinged videos on her YouTube channel that appeared to offer a bizarre motive for the attack. She claimed Rihanna was “stealing” from her, was “jealous” of her and was a “witch” with a “devil’s face.”
The normally quiet celebrity enclave, an exclusive neighborhood packed with multimillion-dollar estates and tight private security, was rattled by the gunfire. Rihanna and her family fled the mansion afterward, boarding a private jet to leave Los Angeles.
Ortiz’s charges include attempted murder with special allegations, 10 counts of assault with an assault firearm with special allegations, and three counts of shooting into an inhabited dwelling or vehicle.
