Rihanna's Alleged Attacker Faces Life for Deliberate Beverly Hills Shooting
The woman accused of firing multiple rounds into Rihanna's $13.8 million Beverly Hills mansion while the singer was home with her family on Sunday acted deliberately and with premeditation, according to a criminal complaint filed by prosecutors. Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 35, allegedly targeted the 38-year-old pop icon in what authorities describe as a "willful, deliberate and premeditated" attempt to murder.
Serious Charges and Court Proceedings
During a court hearing on Tuesday, Ortiz was formally charged with attempted murder, ten counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and three counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling. Her arraignment was postponed until March 25 after her public defender, Jamarcus Bradford, withdrew a not guilty plea on her behalf. Ortiz remains in custody with bail set at $1.8 million and faces up to life in state prison if convicted.
Miraculously, no one was injured during the alleged attack. Ortiz reportedly drove her white Tesla Model 3 to the posh property and used an AR-15 rifle to open fire on Rihanna's home and a neighboring residence. Rihanna, born Robyn Fenty, was present with her partner A$AP Rocky, their three young children, her mother, and two staff members at the time.
Prosecutor's Statement and Additional Details
LA County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman stated at a press conference, "In that residence, Rihanna was there with her partner, her three children, her mother, and two staff people representing eight of the ten counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm." He added, "In addition, Miss Ortiz is accused of firing at a neighboring residence that had two additional individuals, which is why there are ten felony counts."
Ortiz, a licensed speech pathologist from Florida with a history of prior arrests, had frequently posted insults and wild accusations about Rihanna on her Facebook account and YouTube channel. In a January 4 video, she made disturbing statements, including, "Listen, Rihanna, when you die, God is taking me to my future. You want to kill me? Shut the up. Yeah, she's a witch. I'm a watchman. She's a witch."
Background and Personal Circumstances
Ortiz lost custody of her 10-year-old child with ex-husband Jed Nikko Valdez Sangalang in 2024, following her involuntary commitment under the Baker Act in 2023, according to reports. Meanwhile, Rihanna had been working in the studio on her long-awaited follow-up to her 2016 album Anti before the incident and flew her private jet out of Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Her partner, A$AP Rocky, born Rakim Athelaston Mayers, is scheduled to begin his 42-date Don't Be Dumb Tour on May 27 in Chicago. The case continues to develop as legal proceedings advance, with the next court date set for late March.
