Rihanna Home Shooting Suspect Deemed Mentally Fit for Trial After Allegedly Firing 20 Bullets

A Florida woman charged in the Rihanna home shooting case has been ruled competent to stand trial, allowing criminal proceedings to resume.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Maria Cavalluzzi issued the ruling on Tuesday, 29 September, after months of psychiatric evaluations.

Prosecutors allege Ivanna Lisette Ortiz fired at least 20 rounds towards Rihanna's Beverly Crest property and a neighbouring home on 8 March in which no one was injured.

Ortiz, 36, of Orlando, Florida, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and 13 other felony counts. Her case had been suspended while the court considered whether she was competent to continue through the criminal process.

The competency finding is limited to whether Ortiz can understand the proceedings and assist counsel in her defence. It is not a general finding about her mental health or a determination of guilt.

Rihanna Home Shooting Case Restarts After Competency Ruling

Ortiz faces one count of attempted murder involving Rihanna, whose legal name is Robyn Fenty. She also faces 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

The remaining three charges relate to gunfire directed at occupied or inhabited property. Court reporting describes them as two counts involving inhabited dwellings and one involving an inhabited vehicle.

At the 29 September hearing, Cavalluzzi reinstated criminal proceedings after considering the competency issue. The court did not discuss details of the psychiatric evaluations publicly.

Case documents containing details of those evaluations have been sealed. Ortiz was returned to the regular criminal court process following the ruling.

Another hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, 30 September, at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Ortiz remained in custody ahead of that appearance.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said the case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division. Prosecutors have not publicly established a motive for the alleged shooting.

Ortiz's not-guilty plea remains unchanged. The competency ruling does not determine whether prosecutors can prove the allegations against her.

Rihanna Home Shooting Allegedly Sent Bullets Into Trailer And Nursery Wall

Prosecutors allege Ortiz drove to Rihanna's Beverly Crest home at about 1.20pm on 8 March before opening fire with a semiautomatic rifle.

Police and prosecutors say at least 20 rounds were fired towards the property and a neighbouring residence. Investigators reported bullet damage across several areas.

Impacts were found on the property's gate, a wooden fence, an Airstream trailer, a patio area and the exterior wall of a nursery. Bullet impacts were also found at a neighbouring residence.

Rihanna and her partner, A$AP Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, were inside the Airstream trailer. Investigators said their three children were in the nursery with a nanny.

An LAPD follow-up report said Rihanna heard what sounded like '10 loud bangs on metal.' She later saw bullet holes in the trailer's windscreen after opening the curtains, according to the report.

The police account said Rihanna woke Mayers and told him they were being shot at. She then pushed them both to the ground.

Mayers told investigators he woke to Rihanna saying, 'They shooting at us.' The couple then moved to secure their children and staff, according to police.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Rihanna, Mayers and their three children were on the property. Rihanna's mother and two staff members were also there.

Hochman said two other people were inside the neighbouring residence. Those 10 people correspond to the 10 assault counts filed against Ortiz, according to prosecutors.

No one at either property was struck by gunfire. Authorities said Ortiz fled before officers arrested her later that day in Sherman Oaks.

The District Attorney's Office said a weapon was recovered following the arrest. Police later identified it as an AR-15-style rifle.

Ortiz is accused of firing the weapon, but the charges against her remain allegations. She is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

If convicted as charged, Ortiz faces up to life in state prison, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Lawyers for both sides declined comment after the competency hearing.

The criminal proceedings have resumed following the competency ruling, with the underlying allegations still to be tested in court.