Rihanna Shooting Suspect Had History of Involuntary Psychiatric Hold and Child Custody Loss
The woman accused of firing shots at singer Rihanna's Los Angeles mansion earlier this month had previously been placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold and subsequently lost custody of her 10-year-old child, according to court documents and legal representatives.
Involuntary Commitment Under Florida's Baker Act
Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 35, was committed in 2023 under Florida's Baker Act, which allows for involuntary psychiatric holds of up to 72 hours. This information was revealed by Hal Roen, the attorney representing Ortiz's ex-husband, Jed Nikko Valdez Sangalang, in an interview with TMZ.
Roen described Ortiz as "articulate and very believable" but noted she also "does bizarre things," referencing her alleged involvement in the March 8 shooting incident at Rihanna's residence.
Child Custody Ruling and Mental Health Concerns
In April 2024, a Florida judge granted Sangalang full physical custody of the child he shared with Ortiz. The court order explicitly barred Ortiz from having any communication with the child.
Court documents obtained by TMZ indicate that during sworn testimony, Ortiz admitted to the involuntary hold while claiming it resulted from false accusations. The judge ordered a social investigation, citing "concerning testimony about her mental health."
The custody ruling expressed concern that Ortiz might not return the child to the father if given visitation rights. Additionally, while Ortiz sought a domestic violence injunction against Sangalang, one of the incidents she referenced led to her own arrest on domestic violence charges while she was on probation.
Social Media Posts Addressing Rihanna
In the weeks leading up to the shooting, Ortiz made several social media posts directly addressing Rihanna. On February 23, she wrote on Facebook: "@badgalriri Are you there? Cause I was waiting for your AIDS 5-head self to say something to me directly instead of sneaking around like you talking to me where I'm not at."
In another post, Ortiz shared a video where she mentioned rapper Cardi B while speaking to her reflection in a mirror: "You can't f*** with me, Cardi B. You're supposedly busy right now. But you know who has the cutest outfit tonight? You know who's the cutest tonight? I am. I'm the cutest tonight. You ain't doing nothing to me. You ain't messing with me tonight."
Details of the Shooting Incident
Ortiz was arrested shortly after the March 8 shooting and booked for attempted murder. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the suspect fired shots at Rihanna's Los Angeles mansion from inside her vehicle around 1 p.m. that day.
Rihanna, her partner A$AP Rocky, and their three children—RZA, 3, Riot Rose, 2, and 5-month-old Rocki—were all at home during the incident, as reported by E! News. Fortunately, no injuries were reported despite at least 10 rounds penetrating a wall of the house.
Ortiz is currently being held on a $10,225,000 bond while authorities continue their investigation through the LAPD Robbery Homicide Division.
