A Florida girl pleaded not responsible Wednesday to the tried homicide of Rihanna after prosecutors alleged she drove to the Grammy-winning singer’s Los Angeles residence and discharged roughly 20 rounds from an AR-15-style rifle on the property whereas the musician, her companion, and their three younger kids had been inside.
Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 35, of Orlando, entered her plea via her lawyer at Los Angeles Superior Courtroom earlier than Decide Theresa McGonigle. She faces one rely of tried homicide, 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, two counts of taking pictures at an inhabited dwelling, and one rely of taking pictures at an inhabited car. If convicted on all counts, she faces a most sentence of life in jail with out the potential for parole.
The assault occurred on the afternoon of March 8 at Rihanna’s residence on Heather Highway in Beverly Crest, a residential neighborhood on the northern fringe of Beverly Hills.
Prosecutors say Ortiz drove as much as the property at roughly 1:20 p.m. and opened hearth earlier than fleeing the scene. She was taken into custody roughly half-hour later in a Sherman Oaks parking zone. She was present in her automotive with the rifle, extra ammunition, and a wig prosecutors mentioned she meant to make use of as a disguise.
Deputy District Legal professional Alexander Bott advised the court docket the assault endangered a number of lives. “That is the form of conduct that simply might have resulted in quite a few homicides,” he mentioned. Rihanna, her companion Rakim Mayers, identified professionally as A$AP Rocky, their three kids, her mom, and two members of employees had been all on the property on the time, in response to District Legal professional Nathan Hochman. Nobody was struck by gunfire.
Prosecutors alleged Ortiz fired an AR-15-style rifle on the exterior wall of the Beverly Crest property. The three counts of taking pictures at an inhabited dwelling or car lined Rihanna’s most important home, an Airstream trailer the place the singer and Mayers had been current on the time, and a neighboring residence that was additionally struck.
Public data point out Ortiz is a licensed speech-language pathologist in Florida, with an energetic state license issued in March 2015 and legitimate via December 2027. Her lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Derek Ray Dillman, entered the not responsible plea on her behalf. Ortiz appeared behind glass in a custody space wearing yellow jail garments, talking solely to waive her proper to a speedy preliminary listening to. The protection sought a discount in bail from $1.875 million to $70,000, citing her monetary circumstances. The decide declined.
Investigators from the LAPD Theft-Murder Division have been analyzing social media exercise linked to Ortiz within the interval earlier than the taking pictures. In a submit attributed to her from December, she allegedly wrote that she was “already threw with Rihanna” and advised the singer to cease hiding. In a separate video, she reportedly claimed that Rihanna “desires to kill her.” Hochman mentioned on the time of the preliminary prices that his workplace was nonetheless investigating these posts, and declined to publicly focus on a motive or describe any established connection between Ortiz and the singer.
Ortiz additionally has prior arrest data in Florida. An affidavit from a 2023 home incident described a confrontation along with her former husband throughout a baby drop-off, throughout which she made threatening statements and was recorded on video utilizing a slur.
Rihanna, whose full identify is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, has 9 Grammy Awards and 14 primary singles on the Billboard Scorching 100, together with “We Discovered Love,” “Work,” “Umbrella,” and “Disturbia.” She based the cosmetics firm Fenty Magnificence in 2017. She and Mayers introduced the start of their third baby, a daughter named Rocki Irish Mayers, in September 2025.
Ortiz stays topic to a court docket order prohibiting any contact with Rihanna or Mayers. She is due again in court docket on April 8, at which level a date for her preliminary listening to will probably be set. At that stage, prosecutors will probably be required to current adequate proof earlier than a decide to ascertain that the case warrants continuing to trial.
