Rita Ortiz faces 25 felony counts in Los Angeles property fraud case.
Rita Ortiz, the woman who has filed numerous mechanical liens against the owners of homes in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, entered a not guilty plea on Monday to 25 felony counts alleging she filed false documents, as prosecutors argued she poses both a financial and physical risk to the community.
Ortiz was arraigned in a Los Angeles courtroom following weeks of investigative reports detailing multimillion-dollar liens she allegedly recorded against homeowners across Southern California from ABC Eyewitness News.
The district attorney’s office also alleged that shortly after Ortiz was evicted from a property on Glendon Avenue in Beverly Hills two weeks ago, where prosecutors claim she had been unlawfully occupying the home, she filed a deed asserting ownership of the same residence. Authorities said that filing further clouded the title of the lawful owner.
Ortiz’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 12.