A woman charged with the attempted murder of Rihanna following a shooting at the singer’s home has pleaded not guilty.
Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, of Orlando, Florida, is accused of opening fire on the property in Los Angeles when the singer and her hip-hop star partner A$AP Rocky, as well as their three young children and others, were home on 8 March.
Ortiz is charged with one count of attempted murder in relation to Rihanna, 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and three counts of shooting at an occupied vehicle or dwelling.
Through her attorney, she also pleaded not guilty to the other counts at Los Angeles Superior Court.
Pic: KNBC
The 35-year-old faces life in prison if convicted on all charges. She has been jailed on $1.8m (about £1.35m) bail.
Her lawyer, deputy public defender Derek Ray Dillman, spoke in court as Ortiz appeared behind glass in a custody area, wearing yellow prison clothes with her blonde hair in braids.
She spoke only to agree to waive her right to a speedy preliminary hearing, the next phase of the case where evidence is presented to determine whether a trial is warranted.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman previously said Rihanna and Rocky were in an Airstream trailer at the time of the shooting, while her mother, their children and staff members were in the main house.
No one was injured in the incident, police said. About 20 shots were fired at the house, located in the Beverly Crest neighbourhood of LA.
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The prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott said: “This case involves a dangerous, deliberate shooting into occupied homes. This is the kind of conduct that could easily have resulted in multiple homicides.”
When Ortiz was arrested hours afterwards, she was alone in her car with the rifle, more rounds and a wig she intended to use as a disguise, Bott said.
Public records show Ortiz has been a licensed speech pathologist for more than a decade.
Rihanna is a nine-time Grammy winner with 14 number ones hits in the US and nine in the UK, including We Found Love, Umbrella, What’s My Name and Diamonds. She is also the founder of make-up brand Fenty Beauty.
