Rihanna home shooting suspect ruled competent to stand trial
Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 36, has been found competent to stand trial over the March shooting at Rihanna's home in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Maria Cavalluzzi issued the ruling on 29 September and reinstated criminal proceedings. The decision clears the case to move forward after a pause for a mental competency review Rolling Stone.
The finding was based on a 23 September report by Dr Phani Tumu. Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott and Deputy Public Defender Derek Dillman did not contest the report. Competent to stand trial means the court considers a defendant able to understand the proceedings and assist counsel.
Ortiz, who is from Orlando, Florida, faces 14 charges in total. She previously pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted murder, 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and three counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling. The plea was entered by her lawyer.
Prosecutors allege Ortiz drove to Rihanna's home in Beverly Crest on 8 March and opened fire while the property was occupied. Those present included Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, their three young children, and Rihanna's mother.
Rihanna and Mayers were inside an Airstream trailer parked outside the house at the time. Prosecutors allege Ortiz fired 20 rounds from an AR-15-style rifle, striking an exterior wall of a nursery and the windshield of the trailer. Court filings reported earlier this year said Rihanna heard the shots first.
Witnesses described a white Tesla Model 3 with a paper licence plate leaving the area. A police helicopter tracked the vehicle, leading officers to Ortiz and her arrest. Investigators later found six bullet holes in the vehicle gate at the home and a seventh in a pedestrian gate.
Prosecutors have characterised the planning as deliberate. Bott told the court Ortiz brought a loaded rifle, ammunition and a wig to use as a disguise. Ortiz had earlier pushed for a speedy trial against her lawyer's advice.
If convicted, Ortiz faces up to life in state prison CNN. Criminal proceedings are now active again following the competency ruling.
