A Los Angeles judge has temporarily halted the prosecution of a woman accused of attempting to murder global music superstar Rihanna, ordering a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether she is mentally competent to stand trial.
Competency Concerns Raised
During a closed-door meeting in the judge's chambers on Tuesday, Deputy Public Defender Derek Dillman expressed doubts about the mental competence of his client, 35-year-old Ivanna Lisette Ortiz of Orlando, Florida, according to court documents. Ortiz has pleaded not guilty to firing an AR-15 style rifle at the Beverly Hills home of Rihanna, her partner A$AP Rocky, and their children while all were present.
Judge Shannon K. Cooley ordered psychiatric evaluations and transferred the case to a Hollywood mental health court specializing in assessing whether defendants can understand legal proceedings and assist in their own defense. Dillman emphasized the ethical obligation to protect Ortiz's rights, stating, "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."
Potential Outcomes
If Ortiz is found incompetent, she could be held indefinitely in a state hospital until she regains competency to face the charges. She is scheduled to appear in court on June 2, in the same courtroom where a judge recently ruled that a man accused of stalking actress Jennifer Aniston was incompetent to stand trial. At an earlier hearing, Judge Cooley had declined to pause proceedings for a mental health evaluation, and Ortiz objected, expressing a desire to move toward trial. She did not appear in court on Tuesday. Cooley ordered that she remain held on nearly $2 million bail.
The Alleged Attack
Police and prosecutors allege that on March 8, Ortiz drove a Tesla to Rihanna and A$AP Rocky's property in the Beverly Hills area, pointed an AR-15 style rifle out the window, and fired at least 20 bullets toward the property and a neighboring house. Miraculously, no one was injured. Shots struck an Airstream trailer that the couple was inside, according to police interviews. Investigators found bullet holes in the trailer and on the exterior wall of the second-floor nursery, where the couple's three children were with their nanny.
After her arrest later that day, Ortiz told police, "I wasn't attempting murder," according to a police report. She is charged with 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, one for each person on the two properties, and three counts of shooting at an occupied vehicle or dwelling.
Background of the Accused
Ortiz had no prior criminal record, authorities said. Public records show she had been a licensed speech pathologist for more than a decade. Authorities have not disclosed a motive or any connection between her and Rihanna. The nine-time Grammy Award winner, known for hits like "We Found Love," "Work," "Umbrella," and "Disturbia," has not publicly commented on the incident.
