LA Driver Charged With 37 Counts After Ramming Into Club Crowd
A 29-year-old man accused of deliberately plowing his car into a crowd outside a popular Los Angeles nightclub has been charged with 37 counts of attempted murder, officials confirmed Tuesday. The suspect, Fernando Ramirez, now faces the possibility of multiple life sentences if convicted.
The incident occurred early Saturday morning outside The Vermont Hollywood, a well-known venue in East Hollywood, just after a reggae and hip-hop event concluded. Witnesses say Ramirez suddenly drove his car onto the sidewalk, targeting a dense crowd of partygoers exiting the club.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges during a press conference, saying Ramirez “aimed his vehicle at a sea of pedestrians” in what could have easily turned into a mass casualty event. “But for the good grace of God, this could have been far worse,” Hochman stated.
Authorities said 37 people were injured, including eight with what prosecutors described as “great bodily injury.” Some victims were briefly trapped beneath the vehicle, while others suffered fractures, lacerations, and serious trauma. A total of 23 victims were transported to hospitals, according to Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva.
The suspect’s vehicle reportedly came to a stop only after colliding with several food carts, which became lodged under the car. Bystanders quickly swarmed Ramirez, assaulting him before he fled the scene. Police later discovered he had been shot in the lower back, though the shooter remains unidentified and under investigation.
Ramirez’s motive remains unclear, and prosecutors have not yet linked the incident to terrorism or organized crime. The Los Angeles Police Department is continuing to investigate whether the attack was premeditated or triggered by a specific altercation.
Criminal History Raises Concerns
Court records reveal a troubling history of violence and prior arrests involving Ramirez. In 2019, he was convicted of aggravated battery for an attack on a Black man at a Whole Foods in Laguna Beach. Prosecutors at the time filed hate crime allegations, noting that Ramirez told police he “hated Black people.” However, a California appeals court later ruled that the hate-based statement could not be used due to his Fifth Amendment protections, allowing only the battery conviction to stand.
Ramirez also has previous charges from 2014 for battery and gang activity, a 2021 domestic violence arrest, and was awaiting trial for a 2024 DUI and another domestic violence case from 2022 at the time of the nightclub incident.
In a 2019 court filing, Orange County prosecutors wrote, “Ramirez has proved to be violent to strangers and family alike and clearly has a lack of concern for the safety of others.”
As of Tuesday, Ramirez had not retained legal counsel, and the public defender’s office stated they had not been assigned to his case.
Police Chief Jim McDonnell called the event a “miracle” in that no one was killed, adding that the community remains shaken by the incident.
Ramirez is expected to appear in court later this week. The investigation is ongoing.
