A judge has ordered a pause in the criminal case against a 35-year-old woman accused of attempting to murder Rihanna so that she can undergo a mental health competency evaluation.
According to the Associated Press, Ivanna Ortiz appeared in court on Tuesday, where Judge Shannon K. Cooley temporarily halted the proceedings after Ortiz’s lawyer raised concerns about whether she is mentally competent to understand the case against her and participate in her own defence.
Ortiz has pleaded not guilty to a series of charges linked to an alleged shooting incident at Rihanna’s Los Angeles home on March 8. Prosecutors allege Ortiz drove to the property in a rented Tesla before firing around 20 shots from what police described as an AR-15-style rifle while Rihanna, her partner A$AP Rocky, and their three children were inside the residence.
While nobody was injured during the incident, investigators said several bullets struck parts of the property. According to police interviews cited in reports, some of the shots allegedly hit an Airstream trailer where Rihanna and Rocky were staying, while bullet holes were also reportedly discovered on an exterior wall near the home’s nursery, where the couple’s children were being cared for by a nanny at the time.
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Court proceedings were paused after Deputy Public Defender Derek Dillman told the court he had concerns about Ortiz’s ability to fully understand the legal process. Judge Cooley subsequently ordered psychiatric evaluations and transferred the matter to a specialised Hollywood mental health court that handles competency assessments.
Prosecutors did not publicly oppose or comment on the decision during the hearing.
If Ortiz is ultimately found mentally incompetent to stand trial, she could reportedly remain in a state hospital facility until doctors determine she is capable of facing the charges in court. The ruling came just one week after Judge Cooley had initially declined a request to pause the proceedings for a competency evaluation, saying at the time she believed the case should continue toward trial. Ortiz remains in custody on $2 million bail.
Authorities allege Ortiz faces 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm — one count for each person present across the two neighbouring properties — as well as three additional counts relating to shooting at an occupied dwelling or vehicle.
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According to police reports obtained by Rolling Stone, Rihanna allegedly told investigators she heard loud metallic banging noises before discovering bullet holes in the windshield directly in front of where she had been standing inside the trailer.
Investigators said the singer then woke Rocky and warned him they were being shot at before the pair rushed to make sure their children and household staff were safe inside the home.
After the shooting, Ortiz allegedly fled the scene before being located and arrested later that day with the help of a police helicopter. Officers reportedly found multiple bullet holes in gates and fencing surrounding the property.
Police also stated that Ortiz, who reportedly works as a licensed speech pathologist and has no previous criminal record, denied trying to kill anyone following her arrest, allegedly telling investigators: “I wasn’t attempting murder.”
To date, Rihanna has not publicly commented on the incident or the ongoing legal proceedings.
