Rihanna stalker accused of shooting at her home indicted on 14 felony counts

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The criminal case against the woman accused of targeting Rihanna’s Los Angeles home has taken a major turn, with prosecutors now moving toward trial after months of psychiatric evaluation.

A Los Angeles County grand jury has returned a 14-count felony indictment on Wednesday, September 30, against Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 36, from Orlando, who is accused of firing a rifle at the property while Rihanna, A$AP Rocky and their children were inside.

Prosecutors say Rihanna was the target

Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott said that prosecutors believe Rihanna was the intended target and others at the property were also exposed to the danger.

Ortiz is accused of traveling across the country to California before allegedly firing toward Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s home.

Shots struck an Airstream trailer where the celebrity couple was inside.

Gunfire also struck the exterior wall of a nursery where their three children were with their nanny.

No one was physically injured.

A judge unsealed the indictment Wednesday, revealing 14 felony counts against Ortiz, including attempted murder.

Ortiz appeared in court in yellow jail attire, while her attorney entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf. The judge ordered her to remain behind bars on $2.6 million bail.

Indictment on 14 felony counts

The indictment takes the case well beyond the central allegation that Ortiz tried to kill Rihanna.

She is now charged with 10 counts of assault involving an assault weapon, along with three additional counts accusing her of firing at an occupied home or camper.

Together with the attempted-killing charge, the case now includes 14 felony counts.

Prosecutors say Ortiz could face a life sentence if she is convicted on every count.

The grand jury indictment also gives prosecutors a different route toward trial.

Because the charges were returned through secret grand jury proceedings, prosecutors do not have to go through California’s preliminary-hearing process, in which evidence is presented in open court and a judge decides whether the case can move ahead.

That development could accelerate a case that had appeared to be dragging after Ortiz’s arrest.

The grand jury met while Ortiz was undergoing months of psychiatric evaluations, adding another layer of delay to the proceedings.

A judge ruled Tuesday that Ortiz was competent to stand trial, reinstating criminal proceedings after they had been suspended during the competency evaluation.

The ruling clears a procedural hurdle and allows the case to move forward toward trial.