Defendant Fernando Ramirez is accused of intentionally driving into a crowd gathered on a sidewalk in front of The Vermont nightclub. (photo by Edwin Folven)

An Orange County man who is accused of intentionally driving his car into a crowd of people outside a nightclub on Vermont Avenue in East Hollywood last July has been ordered to stand trial.

At the conclusion of a two-day hearing on June 3, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald Coen set an Oct. 5 trial date for Fernando Ramirez, 30, of San Clemente, who is charged with 84 felony counts, including 45 counts of attempted murder. Ramirez faces life in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors believe Ramirez was behind the wheel of a vehicle that careened onto the sidewalk in front of The Vermont nightclub on July 19, 2025. The incident occurred shortly before 2 a.m. when dozens of people were gathered outside the club at 1020 N. Vermont Ave., just south of Santa Monica Boulevard. Security guards for The Vermont testified in court during the hearing that Ramirez had been ejected from the club and was then involved in a fight outside on the sidewalk. Prosecutors believe Ramirez went to his vehicle and drove into the crowd in retaliation.

A total of 37 people were injured, including three people who were hospitalized in critical condition. Eight people suffered “great bodily injury” including serious lacerations and broken bones, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said when charges were filed.

“The defendant’s brazen and destructive actions, as alleged in the criminal complaint, have caused unimaginable harm to dozens of innocent people,” Hochman said.

Ramirez was pulled from his vehicle after he drove into the crowd. Numerous people punched and kicked him, and a gunman walked up and shot him in the back. The chaotic scene was captured on cell phone camera videos.

Police arrived and paramedics took dozens of people to hospitals, including Ramirez. When the suspect recovered, he was transferred to the Men’s Central Jail, where he is currently being held on $37 million bail.

Ramirez has a lengthy criminal history in Orange County, including a pending domestic violence case. The judge ordered the defendant to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on July 14, prior to the start of his trial.

The man who shot Ramirez – Efrain Villalobos, 30 – was arrested last August in Redondo Beach and is charged with attempted murder. Villalobos is being held on $110,000 bail and is next scheduled to appear in court on June 30.