Man Charged with 37 Counts of Attempted Murder After Allegedly Driving Car into Los Angeles Crowd

Los Angeles, CA – Authorities have charged Fernando Ramirez, 29,⁣ with 37 counts of attempted murder and 37 counts of assault with a deadly weapon following a harrowing incident last week where a vehicle was intentionally driven into⁤ a crowd of peopel outside a ⁢Los Angeles nightclub. The Los Angeles County District⁣ Attorney’s ⁤office announced the charges ⁣Tuesday, stating Ramirez could face multiple life sentences if convicted.

The incident,which occurred‍ early saturday morning,saw Ramirez allegedly drive a⁤ Nissan compact sedan onto the sidewalk of Vermont Avenue,near Santa Monica Boulevard,striking vendors’ carts and ultimately coming to a stop after hitting a light pole. District Attorney nathan Hochman described the event⁤ as “catastrophic,” ⁣expressing relief that no lives were lost.

“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 stated. “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 were dispatched to the scene outside the Vermont Hollywood⁤ nightclub. Ramirez, a resident ⁣of San Clemente, was being⁢ held without bail⁢ and⁤ was scheduled for arraignment on Wednesday. As⁢ of Tuesday evening, it was unclear ‍if he had secured legal portrayal.

While the⁤ investigation into the precise sequence of events is ongoing, law enforcement sources ⁣familiar with the situation indicated that ‍Ramirez had been ejected ⁤from the⁣ venue prior to the incident due to intoxication⁤ and⁣ disruptive⁣ behavior.

Adding another layer of complexity to⁤ the already disturbing event, bystanders reportedly ⁣pulled ‍Ramirez from his vehicle after the crash. Later, an individual from across the street approached and ⁣shot‍ the driver in⁢ the back, according to the Los Angeles police Department.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell deemed the⁣ shooting unjustified, emphasizing that the use ‍of ⁤deadly ⁢force was both ⁣unlawful and⁢ dangerous given the circumstances. “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 actively working to identify and apprehend the individual responsible for the shooting.