Latest news with #Hochman
USA Today
23-07-2025
- USA Today
Driver accused of ramming into LA crowd charged with 37 counts of attempted murder
The man accused of plowing a car into a crowd outside a popular Los Angeles nightclub and injuring dozens of people was charged with 74 felony counts in connection with the crash, prosecutors announced on July 22. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman accused Fernando Ramirez, 29, of San Clemente, California, of intentionally driving his vehicle into a crowd of people gathering outside the Vermont Hollywood nightclub in East Hollywood on July 19. The district attorney said Ramirez faces 37 counts of attempted murder and 37 counts of assault with a deadly weapon. "When he drove that car onto that sidewalk, he aimed it at a whole sea of pedestrians that were in front of him on the sidewalk at 2 a.m.," Hochman said at a news conference. "Many of them were at the taco truck, or they were waiting at valet, or they were waiting to get into the club." The chaotic scene unfolded at about 2 a.m. local time as the venue began to close for the night. Ramirez had been kicked out of the venue before returning minutes later and ramming his vehicle into the crowd along the busy street, injuring 37 people, according to police and prosecutors. Injuries ranged from "minor abrasions to serious fractures and lacerations to broken bones" and several victims were briefly trapped beneath the car, authorities said. Hochman alleged that Ramirez inflicted "great bodily injury" on eight victims. The car came to a stop after colliding with several food carts, which became lodged underneath the vehicle, according to police. After the crash, police said bystanders pulled Ramirez out of the vehicle and attacked him. He was later taken into custody and is currently being held without bail, according to Hochman. He is scheduled to be arraigned on July 23. Ramirez faces multiple sentences of life in state prison if he is convicted on all counts, Hochman said. Los Angeles explosion: 'Horrific' explosion at LA County sheriff's training facility kills 3 deputies Driver shot by an unidentified man following car crash During the altercation, police said an unidentified man approached the scene from across the street and shot Ramirez once in the lower back. The man then fled from the scene and remains at large as of July 22, according to police. On July 21, investigators asked the public's help in identifying the man suspected of shooting Ramirez. The shooting suspect was described by police as a Hispanic male, between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing between 150 and 170 pounds, and bald. Newly released surveillance photos from cameras near the venue showed the suspect wearing a blue Dodgers jacket, a light blue jersey with the number '5,' and blue jeans. He also had gauges in both ears, a goatee, and is possibly armed with a silver revolver, police said. "We understand the emotions involved but when the threat had ended and the suspect was no longer actively harming others, the use of deadly force was both unlawful and dangerous to everybody present," Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said at the July 22 news conference. McDonnell noted that the suspected shooter is considered armed and dangerous, and has urged the public to contact authorities with any potential information on the suspect. Militarized response to LA protests: Pentagon pulls 2,000 National Guard members from Los Angeles in immigration rollback Driver has 'extensive history of violence' McDonnell said Ramirez has "an extensive history of violence." According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Ramirez has an additional pending case in Orange County for domestic violence. "He's been charged as well being out on bail for the 2022 domestic violence case that he had in Orange County," Hochman said. "With respect to the details on how he's actually out on bail and ended up in Los Angeles, that evidence will actually be adduced at trial." ABC7 News reported that Ramirez had been involved in several violent crimes in Orange County. He was previously convicted of battery and a hate crime after assaulting a Black employee at a Whole Foods store in Laguna Beach, the television station reported. He was also convicted of resisting arrest, corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and assault likely to cause great bodily injury, according to the television station. Contributing: John Bacon and Jeanine Santucci
Los Angeles Times
23-07-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Driver in East Hollywood nightclub crash charged with 37 counts of attempted murder
A man who slammed his car into a crowd outside an East Hollywood nightclub after he was tossed from the venue has been charged with 37 of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in the crash that left dozens injured early Saturday morning. Fernando Ramirez, 29, of San Clemente, faces life in prison if convicted as charged, according to Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman. Ramirez was thrown out of the Vermont Hollywood nightclub early in the morning on July 19 but returned to the bustling area in a car around 2 a.m., police said. He plowed what police described as a 'compact Nissan sedan' into a crowd of revelers, street vendors and pedestrians, with the vehicle only coming to rest after it slammed into food carts. At least 36 people sustained injuries, with some briefly trapped under the car until help arrived. Hochman said Tuesday eight of those victims suffered 'serious fractures, lacerations and broken bones.' 'But for the good grace of God, this could have been a mass casualty incident,' Hochman said. At least 23 people were hospitalized, but no fatalities were reported. Hochman said it was 'miracle' that no one died and credited the speedy response of police and firefighters for saving lives. After the crash, bystanders pulled Ramirez from the car and dragged him into the street, where he was punched, kicked and eventually shot. Authorities said he was in stable condition over the weekend. Police are still looking for the gunman. 'We understand the emotions involved but when the threat had ended ... the use of deadly force was no longer lawful,' said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. Ramirez is expected to make his first court appearance on Wednesday morning. It was not immediately clear if he had legal representation. The popular nightclub often has a line outside stretching down Vermont. Last Saturday it was hosting the Trapeton Party, a recurring dance party that features reggaetón and hip-hop music. Hochman said he could not comment on the altercations that led to Ramirez's removal from the club or if he was targeting anyone specifically when he allegedly barreled his car into the crowd. He also declined to comment on whether or not Ramirez was drunk or high at the time. At the scene on Saturday morning, LAPD Rampart Division Capt. Ben Fernandes said Ramirez was removed from the club for being disruptive. Ramirez has a lengthy criminal record. He was convicted of a hate crime in 2020 for assaulting a Black Whole Foods employee and sentenced to four years in prison, though part of his conviction was overturned when an appellate court ruled that a police officer violated his Miranda rights. He also has prior convictions for assault on a police officer, resisting arrest and domestic violence stretching back to 2019. At the time of Saturday's incident, he was awaiting trial on charges of driving while intoxicated and domestic battery, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Times Staff Writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.
UPI
22-07-2025
- UPI
Suspect accused of using victims' gun in 'American Idol' murders
July 22 (UPI) -- Suspect Raymond Boodarian allegedly used a firearm owned by victims Robin Kaye and Thomas Deluca to shoot and kill the couple inside their Encino, Calif., home on July 10. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman on Monday night said Boodarian, 22, used a gun owned by Kaye and Deluca to shoot and kill the couple and then called the police. "Mr. Boodarian got caught because he used his cell phone to contact police concerning the situation [and] actually identified himself by name," Hochman told attendees during a special meeting of the Encino Neighborhood Council. "Police were able to ping the cell phone, find out where he lived, go to his residence and arrest him." Hochman said police found the gun used to kill the couple at the crime scene. "The gun that was actually used in the murders wasn't [Boodarian's] gun," Hochman told meeting attendees. "It was a gun that he recovered from the actual house," he added. "It was Robin's and Tom's gun." More than 100 Encino residents attended an Encino Neighborhood Council meeting to discuss the matter on Monday night, which Hochman addressed. The residents were concerned that Boodarian was released from jail last year despite being suspected of battery, making threats and brandishing a weapon, ENC President Josh Sautter told NBC News. A judge dismissed the case following a mental health evaluation of Boodarian. Kaye and Deluca, both age 70, returned home on the evening of July 10 while Boodarian allegedly was inside to burglarize it, Hochman said. Local police discovered the victims' bodies while conducting a welfare check four days later on July 14. Los Angeles Police arrested Boodarian on July 15 and said he is an Encino resident. Boodarian is charged with two counts of murder during a robbery, one count of burglary, intentional use of a firearm and committing multiple murders. He is being held without bail and has an arraignment hearing scheduled on Aug. 20 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, during which he could enter a plea. Kaye was a music supervisor on the popular "American Idol" television show, and Deluca was a musician.
New York Post
22-07-2025
- New York Post
LA junkie charged with killing ‘American Idol' boss Robin Kaye and her husband allegedly used couple's gun in double murder
The maniac accused of murdering 'American Idol' executive Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca used the couple's own gun to kill them — and then called police on himself, according to prosecutors. Raymond Boodarian, 22, allegedly broke into the couple's $4.5 million Encino mansion on July 10 and found their firearm as he rummaged about, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said during a public meeting at the neighborhood's community center Monday. When the couple, who are both 70, came home from grocery shopping and walked in on the burglary, Boodarian allegedly turned their own gun on them and fired. Advertisement 3 Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca, both 70, were shot to death at home on July 10. Facebook 'It was Robyn and Tom's gun,' Hochman said at the meeting, which was attended by more than 100 concerned residents, NBC News reported. 'It wasn't his gun. It was exceptionally tragic.' Boodarian then called police with his own cell phone after the killing and gave his name, which Hochman said ultimately led to police tracking him down and arresting him a day after the bodies were found. Advertisement 'Mr. Boodarian got caught because he used his cell phone to contact police concerning the situation, actually identified himself by name,' Hochman said. 'Police were able to ping the cell phone, find out where he lived, go to his residence and arrest him.' But it remains unclear when Boodarian made that call to police, or exactly what he said in it. 3 Raymond Boodarian, 22, was arrested at his home two days after the 70-year-old couple's bodies were found. TMZ Officers responded to Kaye and Deluca's home on the day of the killing after neighbors reported seeing somebody jump the fence. But nothing was apparently wrong as they looked into the property from the street, so they left. Advertisement It wasn't until four days later when they returned to the home for a welfare check that they found the bodies — with a trail of blood winding to the home's front door, and a back door smashed open. Inside, Kaye was found dead in the pantry and Deluca in a bathroom, according to PEOPLE. Boodarian was arrested the next day at his own home, located about 15 minutes away from the crime scene. 3 The $4.5 million mansion where Kaye and Deluca were murdered is 15 minutes from Boodarian's home. BACKGRID Advertisement And the arrest wasn't his first for violent behavior. He was arrested three times between November 2023 and June 2024 for allegations of battery and threatening family members with a knife. But all the charges were dropped over mental incompetency after he served just six months in custody, and he was turned loose. His neighbors also told The Post that he was a nuisance on their street, and that he regularly wandered about high on drugs and menacing residents. Encino locals expressed alarm that he'd been freed after such a record of arrests — especially since their neighborhood has been plagued by an uptick in crime in recent years. 'We're having phenomenal numbers on crime reduction,' LAPD Deputy Chief Marla Ciuffetelli said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. 'That being said, when two wonderful people end up dead in their own home, those crime statistics fall kind of flat.'
22-07-2025
'American Idol' music supervisor and husband killed with their own gun: DA
The gun allegedly used in the killing of an "American Idol" music supervisor and her husband at their home in Los Angeles belonged to the victims, according to prosecutors. Robin Kaye and her husband, Thomas Deluca, both 70, were found shot to death in their Los Angeles home during a welfare check on July 14, authorities said. Kaye had been with "American Idol" since 2009, according to a spokesperson for the ABC television show. Responding officers found the victims dead with multiple gunshot wounds, including to the head, police said. It is believed the couple was killed four days earlier, when the Los Angeles Police Department said it received two calls about a possible burglary at the Encino address. The suspect -- 22-year-old Raymond Boodarian -- is accused of scaling a fence onto the property that day, entering the home through an unlocked door and then shooting and killing the couple when they arrived home from the grocery store about 30 minutes later, authorities said. A firearm recovered from the suspect's Encino residence came from the victim's home, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. "It was a gun that he had recovered from the actual house. It was Robin and Tom's gun," Hochman said during a public safety forum in Encino on Monday. "It wasn't his gun. Which is exceptionally tragic." Boodarian was arrested on July 15 and has since been charged with two counts of murder and a count of residential burglary, with the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders and murder during the commission of a burglary, the district attorney's office said. He has not yet entered a plea to the charges. He is being held without bail and his next court hearing is Aug. 20. Hochman said officers were led to Boodarian after the suspect called police. "Mr. Boodarian got caught because he used his cellphone to contact police concerning this situation," Hochman said during Monday's meeting. "Police were able to ping the cellphone, find out where he lived, go to his residence and arrest him." LAPD Deputy Chief Marla Ciuffetelli told attendees of the packed forum that police are continuing to assess the initial July 10 response to the couple's home. Officers were unable to make entry into the home, which Ciuffetelli said was "quite fortified." Police flew a helicopter over and saw no signs of a burglary or any other trouble and cleared the scene, detectives previously said. "We're always striving to try to respond better," Ciuffetelli said. "We're taking a very close look at the response. I'm not saying that there was any mistakes made, but we're making sure that in similar circumstances, that we respond appropriately." In the wake of the killings, LAPD Capt. Michael Bland said the department was upping patrols overnight in Encino. "This is not something we take lightly," he told the crowd.
