The criminal case against the woman accused of firing more than 20 rounds at Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s Los Angeles home is moving forward after a judge determined she is mentally competent to stand trial.
Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 36, of Orlando, Florida, was found competent following months of psychiatric evaluations, according to the Associated Press. The decision sends Ortiz back into the regular criminal court system, where she faces attempted murder and more than a dozen additional felony charges connected to the March 8 shooting.
The Rihanna shooting case began when prosecutors say Ortiz drove to the singer’s Beverly Crest residence during the afternoon and opened fire with a semiautomatic rifle. According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Ortiz allegedly fired multiple times toward the home before leaving the area.
No one was struck by the gunfire.
Authorities allege Rihanna, A$AP Rocky and their three children were at the property when the shooting happened. According to the Associated Press, investigators said Rihanna and Rocky were inside an Airstream trailer on the property when it was struck by bullets. Investigators also discovered bullet damage on the exterior wall of the second-floor nursery where the couple’s children were with a nanny.
Prosecutors have charged Ortiz with one count of attempted murder, 10 felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and three felony counts involving shooting at an inhabited dwelling or camper, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors have also alleged that Ortiz personally and intentionally discharged the weapon.
The Rihanna shooting suspect was arrested shortly after the attack in Sherman Oaks. The Associated Press reported that authorities allege Ortiz used an AR-15-style rifle and fired at least 20 rounds toward Rihanna’s property and a neighboring residence. Investigators said no known connection between Ortiz and Rihanna has been established, and authorities have not publicly identified a motive.
After her arrest, Ortiz made a brief statement to investigators that later surfaced in a police report.
“I wasn’t attempting murder,” Ortiz said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Ortiz has pleaded not guilty to the charges against her.
Questions about her ability to proceed through the criminal justice system surfaced months after the shooting. In May, Deputy Public Defender Derek Dillman raised concerns about whether Ortiz was mentally competent to stand trial. According to the Associated Press, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Shannon K. Cooley subsequently ordered psychiatric evaluations and temporarily transferred the case to a mental health court.
“It is the ethical obligation of counsel and the court to ensure that Ms. Ortiz’s rights are protected, including being able to assist counsel in conducting a defense in a rational manner,” Dillman told the Associated Press at the time.
Competency proceedings do not determine whether a defendant committed the alleged crime. Instead, the process addresses whether a defendant understands the criminal proceedings and can rationally assist attorneys with a defense. Ortiz’s latest ruling means the court has determined she meets that standard and the underlying criminal case can continue.
Before the competency issue arose, Ortiz had entered a not guilty plea. The Los Angeles Times reported that police records describing the shooting said Rihanna heard a series of loud noises striking metal while Rocky was sleeping. According to the police account cited by the newspaper, Rihanna woke Rocky, got down for cover with him, and then went to check on their children.
The case has also drawn attention to Ortiz’s activity before the shooting. The Los Angeles Times reported that social media posts attributed to Ortiz had referenced Rihanna in the weeks leading up to the incident. Authorities, however, have not publicly said those posts establish a motive for the shooting.
The newspaper also previously reported that public records showed Ortiz had been arrested in Florida in connection with other incidents before the Los Angeles case. Those reported arrests should not be confused with convictions. The Associated Press’ latest coverage said authorities described Ortiz as having no prior police record, leaving a discrepancy between the reports about how her earlier Florida history is characterized.
Ortiz was a licensed speech pathologist before her arrest, according to the Associated Press. At the time prosecutors announced the charges in March, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said she faced up to life in state prison if convicted as charged.
The Rihanna shooting case will now return to the criminal court process following the competency determination. The Associated Press reports that Ortiz is scheduled for another court hearing Wednesday as the attempted murder case proceeds.
