Questions surrounding the mental state of a Florida woman accused of opening fire outside Rihanna’s Los Angeles home have now pushed the high-profile criminal case into mental health court.
A judge on Tuesday halted proceedings against 35-year-old Ivanna Lisette Ortiz after her attorney raised concerns about whether she is mentally fit to stand trial. Ortiz, who is from Orlando, Florida, has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and several additional felony charges linked to the shooting incident at the home of Rihanna, A$AP Rocky and their children.
During a private meeting held in chambers in Los Angeles, Deputy Public Defender Derek Dillman informed the court that he doubted his client’s competence, according to court records. Judge Shannon K. Cooley subsequently ordered psychiatric evaluations and transferred the matter temporarily to a Hollywood mental health court that handles competency assessments for criminal defendants.
“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 said in an email to The Associated Press.
Prosecutors reportedly declined to comment on the development.
If Ortiz is ultimately found incompetent to stand trial, she could remain in a state hospital until doctors determine she is capable of participating in court proceedings. She is due back in court on June 2, the same courtroom where another judge recently ruled that a man accused of stalking Jennifer Aniston was not mentally fit to stand trial.
The ruling marked a shift from a hearing held just a week earlier, when Cooley refused to pause the case for mental health review. Ortiz had objected at the time and insisted she wanted the criminal case to continue toward trial. She was absent from Tuesday’s hearing, where the judge also ruled that she remain jailed on nearly $2 million bail.
Authorities allege that on March 8, Ortiz drove a Tesla to the Beverly Hills-area residence shared by Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, then pointed an AR-15-style rifle from the vehicle window and fired at least 20 rounds toward the property and a neighboring home. No injuries were reported.
According to police interviews, some of the bullets struck an Airstream trailer where Rihanna and Rocky were staying. Investigators also documented bullet holes in the trailer and damage near a second-floor nursery where the couple’s three children were reportedly inside with a nanny during the shooting.
After her arrest later that day, investigators said Ortiz told officers, “I wasn’t attempting murder,” according to a police report.
Ortiz now faces 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, tied to the individuals present on both properties, as well as three counts of shooting at an occupied vehicle or dwelling.
Authorities said Ortiz had no previous criminal record. Public records show she worked for more than 10 years as a licensed speech pathologist.
Investigators have not disclosed a motive or explained whether Ortiz had any prior relationship or contact with Rihanna.
Source: face2faceafrica.com