Driver faces 37 counts of attempted murder in East Hollywood nightclub crash
LOS ANGELES (KTLA) — A man accused of plowing into several dozen clubgoers in East Hollywood early Saturday morning will face more than 70 criminal counts, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Tuesday.
Fernando Ramirez, 29, will face 37 counts of attempted murder and 37 counts of assault with a deadly weapon, said Hochman, who explained the 37 counts are for each victim and the deadly weapon used in this alleged attack was the car.
At about 2 a.m., the San Clemente resident Ramirez drove his car onto the sidewalk outside a club in the 1000 block of North Vermont Avenue, "where he struck a crowd of people," Hochman alleged.
Hochman said that while he's thankful no one died, there were many serious injuries inflicted, including "serious fractures, lacerations and broken bones."
"But for the grace of God, this could've been a mass-casualty incident," he said.
"It is truly a miracle that nobody was killed that night," said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell.
As for Ramirez's alleged motivation, that "will come out in a court of law," the prosecutor said.
If convicted, Ramirez could receive multiple life sentences. Ahead of his trial, he's being held without bail.
He's scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday.
"Mr. Ramirez will face the full accountability for his actions when we get him into court, and we look forward to that opportunity, to presenting that evidence to, if it's a jury, a jury, and convicting him on each and every one of these counts ... At that point, we'll tell the judge to put him away for the rest of his life," Hochman said.
Another man who allegedly shot Ramirez in the buttocks after the crash is still being sought by police.
"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.