Latest news with #NathanHochman
Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Al Jazeera
LA nightclub car ramming driver charged with attempted murder in US
A man accused of deliberately driving his car into a crowd of pedestrians in the United States, outside a Los Angeles nightclub in California over the weekend, has been charged with 37 counts of attempted murder, according to prosecutors. Fernando Ramirez, 29, a resident of Orange County's San Clemente, was also charged on Tuesday with 37 counts of assault with a deadly weapon, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. If convicted, he could face multiple sentences of life imprisonment. The suspect is accused of intentionally driving his car onto the pavement as partygoers were leaving the Vermont Hollywood venue at the end of a reggae hip-hop event early on Saturday. The motive for the attack, which injured 37 people, remains unknown. Ramirez, who is currently being held without bail, will be arraigned on Wednesday. The public defender's office said they have not been appointed to represent him. 'When he drove that car onto that sidewalk, he aimed it at a whole sea of pedestrians,' LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in announcing the charges. The car came to a stop after colliding with several food carts, which became lodged underneath the vehicle, and bystanders attacked the driver, police said. A total of 37 people were hurt, with injuries ranging from minor abrasions to serious fractures and lacerations, prosecutors said. The criminal complaint alleges that Ramirez inflicted great bodily injury on eight of the victims. Police said officers dispatched to the scene found that Ramirez had been shot while being assaulted by onlookers and was himself taken to a hospital, his condition unknown. A man suspected of shooting the motorist fled the scene on foot, according to police, who were still looking for the attacker on Tuesday. 'We understand that this brazen act has shaken the community and but for the good grace of God, this could have been a mass casualty incident,' Hochman said. Among those injured, 23 people were taken to hospitals, said Ronnie Villanueva, interim fire chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Los Angeles police chief Jim McDonnell said, 'It's truly a miracle that no one was killed that day.' Ramirez has a criminal history that includes a battery and gang-related charge in 2014, an aggravated battery conviction for a 2019 attack on a Black man at a Whole Foods grocery store in Laguna Beach, California, and a domestic violence charge in 2021, records show. Ramirez 'has proved to be violent to strangers and family alike and clearly has a lack of concern for the safety of others', Orange County prosecutors said in a court filing for the 2019 attack. A 2024 drink-driving case and 2022 domestic violence charge were pending at the time of the nightclub crash, according to records.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Driver accused of ramming into crowd outside LA nightclub charged with 37 counts of attempted murder
APTOPIX Los Angeles Vehicle into Crowd LOS ANGELES (AP) — The driver accused of ramming his car into a crowd outside a Los Angeles nightclub over the weekend was charged with 37 felony counts of attempted murder, prosecutors said Tuesday. Fernando Ramirez, 29, was also charged with 37 felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon. If convicted, he could face multiple sentences of life imprisonment. Ramirez is accused of intentionally driving his car onto the sidewalk as partygoers were leaving the Vermont Hollywood venue at the end of a reggae hip-hop event early Saturday. The motive for the attack, which injured 37 people, was still unknown. A phone number for Ramirez could not be found in an online database search, and the public defender's office said they have not been appointed to represent him. 'When he drove that car onto that sidewalk, he aimed it at a whole sea of pedestrians," LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in announcing the charges. The car came to a stop after colliding with several food carts, which became lodged underneath the vehicle, and bystanders attacked the driver, police said. Injuries ranged from minor to serious fractures and lacerations, and some people were briefly trapped beneath the vehicle. After fleeing the scene, Ramirez was later found to have been shot in the lower back, but authorities have not identified the suspected gunman. Officials said Tuesday they were still looking for the shooter. 'We understand that this brazen act has shaken the community and but for the good grace of God, this could have been a mass casualty incident" Hochman said. He added that eight people suffered 'great bodily injury.' Among those injured, 23 people were taken to hospitals, said Ronnie Villanueva, Interim Fire Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said "it's truly a miracle that no one was killed that day.' Ramirez has a criminal history that includes a battery and gang-related charge in 2014, an aggravated battery conviction for a 2019 attack on a Black man at a Whole Foods grocery store in Laguna Beach, California, and a domestic violence charge in 2021, records show. In the 2019 attack, he was also convicted of a civil rights misdemeanor, and the assault was considered a hate crime because he told police he hated Black people. But a California appeals court in 2021 said he made that statement after invoking his Fifth Amendment rights, and only the battery conviction was allowed to stand. Ramirez was released from custody after more than two years in jail and prison. Ramirez 'has proved to be violent to strangers and family alike and clearly has a lack of concern for the safety of others,' Orange County prosecutors said in a court filing for the 2019 attack. A 2024 drunken driving case and 2022 domestic violence charge were pending at the time of the nightclub crash, according to records.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Driver accused of injuring 37 in Hollywood ramming incident charged
July 22 (UPI) -- Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman on Tuesday announced dozens of charges, including 37 counts of attempted murder, against a 29-year-old man accused of ramming his vehicle into a crowd outside of a Hollywood night club early Saturday. Authorities allege that shortly before 2 a.m. PDT Saturday, Fernando Ramirez drove his vehicle into a crowd of people waiting at a taco truck, for valet service and to get into the East Hollywood nightclub, resulting in 37 people being injured. The county district attorney told reporters during a press conference Tuesday that the San Clemente resident has been charged with a 74-count indictment that, on top of the attempted murder charges, includes 37 counts of assault with a deadly weapon. Of the victims, eight people sustained what Hochman described as "great bodily injuries," while remaking that it was a "miracle" there were no fatalities and crediting the more than 100 responders for acting to prevent the outcome of the crime from being worse than it was. "We understand that this brazen act has shaken the community and but for the good grace of God, this could have been a mass casualty incident," he said. The county district attorney said Ramirez's motive and actions preceding the alleged crime will be revealed in court, while authorities previously said the suspect had been ejected from the club for intoxication prior to the car-ramming incident. Hochman alleged that Ramirez specifically aimed his vehicle at those outside the club. If convicted, Ramirez faces multiple life sentences. He is being held without bond and is expected to be arraigned in court on Wednesday. "Our thoughts go out to not only the victims but to their families and friends as well, because this tragic event in their lives will reverberate forever in their lives. It reverberates in our community," Hochman said. "But, we are here to tell you that Mr. Ramirez will face justice." Ramirez was taken into police custody after being pulled from the vehicle by bystanders and shot in the back in the melee. Police continue to search for the gunman, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a release. The LAPD has released an image of the suspect online. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell told the public to consider the suspect armed and dangerous. "We're asking the public to help bring this person to justice before another act of violence occurs," he said.
Fox News
6 hours ago
- Fox News
Felon who allegedly barreled car through LA nightclub crowd faces 37 attempted murder charges
A convicted felon who allegedly drove his car through a crowd of people outside a Los Angeles nightclub over the weekend has been indicted. Fernando Ramirez, 29, of San Clemente, faces 37 charges of attempted murder and 37 counts of assault with a deadly weapon, all felonies, from a crash that left 37 injured outside the Vermont Hollywood nightclub Saturday night. "We understand that this brazen act has shaken the community and, but for the good grace of God, this could have been a mass casualty incident," LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said, according to WPLG. Hochman said eight people suffered "great bodily injury." "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. The victims were mostly women waiting to enter the Hollywood nightclub when Ramirez allegedly ran them down in his Nissan Versa. The vehicle also traveled over a food vending cart and a valet stand. Adding to the chaos, bystanders reportedly pulled Ramirez from his disabled vehicle and assaulted him. During the altercation, a man pulled a gun and shot Ramirez. Police are still searching for that suspect. Ramirez has a lengthy criminal history and was out of prison on parole at the time of the crash. KNBC reported he was convicted of felony battery from an attack on a man outside a Whole Foods in 2019 and sentenced to prison the following year. It is unclear whether his parole release was related to that conviction. The report said Ramirez has at least "11 criminal cases ranging from misdemeanors to felonies" since 2014, citing the Orange County District Attorney's Office. The 2014 charge was gang-related, and Ramirez has a pending 2024 drunk driving case and a pending 2022 domestic violence case that are both unresolved. He faces life in prison if convicted on the charges related to the car ramming.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man charged with 37 counts of attempted murder for allegedly plowing through LA crowd
A man accused of intentionally plowing his car through a crowd in Los Angeles over the weekend has been charged with 37 counts of attempted murder, officials announced Tuesday. The suspect -- 29-year-old Fernando Ramirez -- has also been charged with 37 counts of assault with a deadly weapon, "the deadly weapon being the car," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said during a press briefing announcing the filing of the charges. MORE: At least 30 injured after car plows into crowd outside music venue in Los Angeles The counts correspond to the 37 victims in the incident, which unfolded around 2 a.m. local time Saturday outside the music venue The Vermont in East Hollywood, Hochman said. Among the victims, eight suffered "great bodily injury," such as serious fractures and lacerations, the district attorney said. "We understand that this brazen act has shaken the community," Hochman said during the press briefing. "As alleged, and we will prove in a court of law, 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. Many of them were at the taco truck, or they were waiting at the valet, or they were waiting to get into the club." Over the weekend, senior investigators told ABC News the crash occurred after the suspect had been removed from the nightclub. He then intentionally drove his vehicle onto a sidewalk and into the crowd gathered outside the club, police said. During Tuesday's briefing, Los Angeles Fire Department Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva described the scene as "incredibly chaotic and distressing." "It's truly a miracle no one was killed," Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said. MORE: 'American Idol' music supervisor and husband killed with their own gun: DA When the vehicle became disabled, bystanders in the crowd dragged the driver outside the car and began to physically assault him, according to police. At some point during the altercation, police said a man shot the driver once in the lower back then fled the scene on foot. After being treated at a hospital, Ramirez was initially booked into jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, police said. He is currently being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday, Hochman said. If convicted as charged, the suspect faces multiple sentences of life in state prison. Ramirez has an "extensive history of violence," McDonnell said. At the time of the incident, he was out on bail in connection with a 2022 domestic violence case in Orange County, according to Hochman, who declined further comment on the matter at this time. The unidentified person who shot the driver remains at large, police said Tuesday. "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," McDonnell said. "Our detectives are working diligently to identify and apprehend the shooter."
