OC Man Accused Of Plowing Into Crowd Outside Nightclub Headed To Trial

LOS ANGELES, CA — A judge Wednesday set an Oct. 5 trial date for an Orange County man who allegedly plowed his car into a crowd on a sidewalk near an East Hollywood nightclub, leaving more than 30 people injured last summer.

Fernando Ramirez, now 30, of San Clemente, was ordered in March to stand trial on 45 counts of attempted murder and 39 counts of assault with a deadly weapon following a hearing that lasted just under 1 1/2 days.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald Coen dismissed four other counts on which the prosecution did not present any evidence.

The crash occurred at about 2 a.m. on July 19, 2025 near the Vermont Hollywood in the 1000 block of North Vermont Avenue.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said last year that Ramirez was accused of "intentionally driving his car onto the sidewalk near the Vermont Hollywood," and that the defendant "drove that car onto the sidewalk" and "aimed it at a whole sea of pedestrians that were in front of him."

The district attorney called it a "brazen act" that "could have been catastrophic."

Speaking at last summer's news conference with Hochman, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said the crash "turned a popular night-life district into a scene of trauma and fear."

"It is truly a miracle that nobody was killed that night," the chief said.

Following the crash, Ramirez was pulled from the vehicle and shot in the back as onlookers set upon him, according to police. He was then taken into custody.

Efrain Villalobos, now 29, of Lawndale, was arrested last August in connection with the shooting and is charged with one felony count each of assault with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Khambrell Gomez, the nightclub's security director, testified at the hearing earlier this year that he had broken up an earlier confrontation outside the nightclub in which a group of individuals "got the best of" the defendant, and said he heard the defendant say afterward to watch what was going to happen.

Gomez said about 10 minutes later he saw the car "that just seemed to come out of nowhere," accelerated and "flew into everybody," and that he subsequently realized the driver was the man who had been involved in the earlier fight.

Miguel Mendez, who works at the nightclub, testified that he recognized Ramirez as the man who was bleeding when he rushed back into the nightclub following the altercation and subsequently saw him being dragged out of the vehicle after the collision. He said he had heard that the defendant had been removed from the nightclub.

During the hearing, the judge also heard testimony from 10 people who said they were injured in the collision, including several who said they have suffered lasting consequences as a result of their injuries.

Nicolas Suarez, a vendor who was with his wife selling hot dogs from a cart, said through a Spanish interpreter that he was struck by the car while standing on the sidewalk in front of the nightclub and that he wound up underneath the vehicle.

"I couldn't get out because my foot was fractured," he said, adding that there were "lots of firefighters and police officers helping us."

He said he still hasn't fully recovered and that he hasn't been able to return to work.

Suarez's wife, Maria Luisa Medrano, testified through a Spanish interpreter that she still suffers pain and hasn't been able to work either. She added that she gets scared and panics when she has to cross the street.

Jessica Castanon became emotional as she discussed the crash, saying that the "last thing I remember is the headlights coming towards me."

She said she was in pain and shock and scared following the collision, which occurred as she was leaving the club. She said she missed four months of work and that her ability to work has been restricted.

Ramirez — who has a lengthy criminal record in Orange County — remains jailed in lieu of $37 million bail.

He is due back in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom for a pretrial hearing July 14.

Ramirez could face a life prison sentence if convicted.

City News Service