A man who slam his car in a crowd outside an East Hollywood nightclub After being thrown from the place, he was accused of 37 chiefs of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in the accident which made dozens injured early Saturday morning.
Fernando Ramirez, 29, of San Clemente, risks life prison if she was found guilty, according to the County of Los Angeles Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman.
Ramirez was thrown outside the Vermont Hollywood nightclub early in the morning on July 19 but returned to the lively area in a car around 2 am, police announced. He plowed what the police described as a “compact Nissan sedan” in a crowd of revelers, street vendors and pedestrians, the vehicle resting only after hitting food carts.
At least 36 people were injured, with a part briefly trapped under the car until the aid arrived. Hochman said on Tuesday that eight of these victims had suffered “serious fractures, lacerations and broken bones”.
“But for the good grace of God, it could have been a mass incident,” said Hochman.
At least 23 people were hospitalized, but no death was reported. Hochman said it was a “miracle” that no one died and credited the rapid response of the police and firefighters for saving lives.
After the accident, the passers -by pulled the car ramirer and dragged him into the street, where he was struck, kicked and finally pulled. Authorities said he was in stable state over the weekend. The police are still looking for the shooter.
“We understand the emotions involved, but when the threat was over … The use of a deadly force was no longer legal,” said Los Angeles police chief Jim McDonnell.
Ramirez should make his first appearance in court on Wednesday morning. He was not immediately clear if he had a legal representation.
The popular nightclub often has an outside line that extends over the Vermont. Last Saturday, he organized the Trapeton party, a recurring dance party that presents reggaeton and hip-hop music.
Hochman said he could not comment on the altercations that led to the removal of Ramirez from the club or if he was aiming for someone specifically when he allegedly inaugurated his car in the crowd. He also refused to say if Ramirez was drunk or high at the time.
At the scene on Saturday morning, Captain Ben Fernandes of the Rampart Lapd division said that Ramirez had been withdrawn from the club for having disrupted.
Ramirez has a long criminal record. He was found guilty of a crime of hatred in 2020 for having attacked an employee of Black Whole Foods and sentenced to four years in prison, although a part of his conviction was canceled when a court of appeal judged that a policeman had violated his rights in Miranda. He was also sentenced to assault against a police officer, resistant to arrest and domestic violence which dates back to 2019.
At the time of the incident on Saturday, he awaited a trial for drunk driving and beating in intoxication, according to the office of the District of the County of Orange.
Staff editor Richard Winton has contributed to this report.
