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South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- South China Morning Post
LA nightclub crash: driver charged with 37 counts of attempted murder
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 on 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 pavement as party-goers 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, 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 pavement, he aimed it at a whole sea of pedestrians,' LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in announcing the charges. Emergency crews at the scene after a vehicle plunged into a crowd outside a nightclub in Los Angeles on July 19. Photo: AXN NEWS/via Reuters 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.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Driver accused of plowing into L.A. crowd charged with 37 counts of attempted murder
LOS ANGELES — A man who authorities said intentionally drove a car into a crowd of people outside a Los Angeles nightclub last week has been charged with 37 counts of attempted murder, the Los Angeles County district attorney said Tuesday. Fernando Ramirez, 29, could face multiple sentences of life in prison if convicted, District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. In addition to the attempted murder counts, Ramirez is charged with 37 counts of assault with a deadly weapon. Hochman said that the incident early Saturday 'could have been catastrophic' and that it was a miracle that no one died. '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. 'Many of them were at the taco truck or they were waiting at valet or they were waiting to get into the club.' Over 100 first responders rushed to the scene outside the Vermont Hollywood nightclub, authorities said. Ramirez, of San Clemente in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, was being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday, Hochman said. It was not clear Tuesday evening whether he had an attorney. Ramirez is accused of driving a Nissan compact sedan on the sidewalk of Vermont Avenue, southbound from Santa Monica Boulevard, before he struck carts that were most likely vendors and ultimately stopped after he hit a light pole, police said. An investigation into what led up to the incident and how it unfolded is ongoing, officials said. Two law enforcement sources familiar with the situation have said the driver had been kicked out of the venue for being intoxicated and disruptive. After the crash into the crowd, bystanders pulled the driver from the vehicle, officials said. Someone from across the street approached and shot him in the back, Los Angeles police said. Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the shooting was not justified. "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. Detectives are working to identify the shooter and arrest him, he said. This article was originally published on
Al Jazeera
7 days 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
7 days 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.
Al Arabiya
7 days ago
- Al Arabiya
Man charged with 37 counts of attempted murder in Los Angeles car-ramming
A man accused of deliberately driving his car into a crowd of pedestrians outside a Los Angeles nightclub over the weekend, injuring dozens of people, some critically, was charged on Tuesday with 37 counts of attempted murder, prosecutors said. The suspect, Fernando Ramirez, 29, a resident of San Clemente, also was charged 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 would face multiple sentences of life in prison, the statement said. Ramirez, currently being held without bail, was to be arraigned on Wednesday. Authorities have offered no possible motive for the car-ramming, which remains under investigation. According to the Los Angeles district attorney, Ramirez also has a case of domestic violence pending against him in Orange County. The incident occurred at about 2 a.m. on Saturday, when a motorist suddenly, and intentionally, drove into a sidewalk outside Vermont Hollywood, a popular live music venue on the eastern edge of Hollywood, authorities 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 to eight of the victims. Police said officers dispatched to the scene found that the driver 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.
