Woman pleads not guilty to attempted murder of Rihanna and to assaulting
the superstar’s family
[March 26, 2026]
By ANDREW DALTON
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman from Florida pleaded not guilty Wednesday to
attempted murder of Rihanna, and a newly public police report revealed
that the shots she is alleged to have fired from an AR-15 style rifle
hit an Airstream trailer while the singing superstar and her partner
A$AP Rocky were inside.
Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, of Orlando, who had no prior police record, also
pleaded not guilty through her attorney to more than a dozen other
felony counts in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Hours after her arrest on March 8, Ortiz told detectives she would not
answer questions without a lawyer, but spoke up once, according to the
Los Angeles police report made public in a court filing Tuesday.
“Can I say one sentence?” she said. “I would like to say that I wasn't
attempting murder. But that's all I wanted to say.”
Police and prosecutors said that Ortiz, 35, pulled up in a white Tesla
to the home Rihanna and Rocky share with their three young children in
the Beverly Hills area, pointed the rifle out the window and sprayed at
least 20 bullets toward the property and a neighboring home. No one was
injured.
Rihanna told detectives in an interview that Rocky was sleeping in the
rear of the trailer that was parked in the driveway next to the home's
garage and she was sitting at a window seat when she heard about 10 loud
sounds like something banging on metal. She pulled back a curtain and
saw bullet holes in the Airstream's front window, according to the
report. She pulled him out of bed and both of them got on the floor
before running into the main house to check on the people inside, which
included the kids, her mother, and staffers.
Rocky, identified in the report as “a famous rapper,” told police that
Rihanna shouted that someone was shooting at them as she woke him.
Two bullets hit the double-paned window of the Airstream, but did not go
through it, the police report said. A third appeared to have hit the
trailer's side.
A bullet hole was found on the exterior wall of the home's second-floor
nursery where the three kids were with their nanny. The nanny told
police that she heard the shots but hadn't believed they were gunfire
initially.
Three bullet fragments were found in the home's front porch area while
at least 10 bullet holes were identified in the property's gates and
walls. Shots also hit a neighboring home.
Ortiz is charged with 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm,
one for each of the people on the two properties. She's also charged
with three counts of shooting at an occupied vehicle or dwelling for the
trailer and the two neighboring homes. She could get life in prison if
convicted on all charges.
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 Ortiz appeared behind glass
Wednesday in a custody area, wearing yellow jail clothes with her
blond 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.
Her lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Derek Dillman, asked that her
bail be reduced from $1.9 million to $70,000 based on her ability to
pay. Judge Theresa McGonigle declined the request.
The prosecutor said she's a major risk to the community and would
likely flee if she made bail.
“This case involves a dangerous, deliberate shooting into occupied
homes,” Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott said. “This is the
kind of conduct that could easily have resulted in multiple
homicides.”
When Ortiz was arrested hours after the shooting, she was alone in
her car with the rifle, more rounds and a wig she was using as a
disguise, Bott said.
Public records show Ortiz has been a licensed speech pathologist for
more than a decade. McGonigle ruled that she should be prevented
from practicing in California. The move came at the request of the
state attorney general, whose motion included the police report,
making it public.
Neither side spoke to reporters outside the courthouse.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman has declined to discuss a motive or
describe any connection between Ortiz and Rihanna, saying all were
under investigation. He also said his office was investigating
social media posts from Ortiz from the days leading up to the
gunfire.
A nine-time Grammy Award winner, Rihanna has 14 No. 1 hits on the
Billboard Hot 100, including “We Found Love,” “Work,” “Umbrella” and
“Disturbia.” She founded the makeup brand Fenty Beauty in 2017.
She and A$AP Rocky announced the birth of their third child, a girl
named Rocki Irish Mayers, in September. They also have sons ages 2
and 3.
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