By Katabella Roberts
Contributing Writer
A 29-year-old man accused of crashing his vehicle into a crowd outside a nightclub in East Hollywood last weekend, injuring dozens, has been charged with 37 counts of attempted murder, prosecutors said on Tuesday.
Fernando Ramirez was also charged with 37 counts of assault with a deadly weapon, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at a press conference.
Hochman said the suspect had been charged with one count for each of the 37 victims injured when a car hit the crowd. If convicted, he could face multiple sentences of life imprisonment.
Hochman said on July 19 at about 2 a.m. Ramirez, of San Clemente, intentionally drove his vehicle onto the sidewalk near The Vermont Hollywood, a popular venue in the 1000 block of North Vermont Avenue, where he allegedly struck a crowd of people.
“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,” Hochman told the press conference. “Many of them were at the taco truck, or they were waiting at valet, or they were waiting to get into the club.”
Police said the car came to a stop at a streetlight pole.
“At some point, the sedan struck some sort of carts … most likely vending carts, which ultimately led up under the vehicle, and the vehicle stopped at a light standard, meaning a light pole in the area, which ultimately saved lives,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said.
Driver Shot in the Back
The driver was then pulled out of the vehicle by bystanders, who attacked him. An unidentified man shot him in the back before fleeing the scene, McDonnell added.
Authorities are working to identify and apprehend the shooter, who they consider to be armed and dangerous, and are asking the public to share any information they may have regarding that individual, the police chief said.
In a Sunday statement, the L.A. Police Department described the gunman as a Hispanic man, between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing between 150 and 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue Dodgers jacket, a light blue jersey with the number 5, and blue jeans, according to the statement. He has gauges in both ears and a goatee, LAPD said.
Details about Ramirez’s condition were not provided.
Of the 37 individuals that were struck, eight suffered great bodily injury, including serious fractures, lacerations, and broken bones, Hochman said. At least one of the victims was briefly trapped underneath the vehicle, he added.
Hochman said Ramirez was out on bail on a separate case in Orange County for domestic violence when he allegedly plowed the vehicle into the crowd. The motivation for the attack in Los Angeles is unknown.
A total of 23 people were transported to nearby hospitals, Los Angeles Fire Department Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva said.
McDonnell said that Ramirez turned a popular nightlife district into a “scene of trauma and fear.”
“It’s truly a miracle that no one was killed that night,” he added.
