Man pleads not guilty to shooting driver accused of plowing into East Hollywood crowd

EAST HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The man accused of shooting a driver who allegedly plowed into a crowd outside of an East Hollywood nightclub, injuring dozens in July, has pleaded not guilty.

Efrain Villalobos, 28, of Lawndale, was arraigned in downtown Los Angeles on Friday.

Villalobos is charged with assault with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon.

His bail is set at $110,000, and his pretrial hearing is set for Sept. 19.

Villalobos has prior convictions from 2022 for grand theft and 2024 for burglary, according to court records.

Fernando Ramirez, 29, of San Clemente, is charged with 37 counts of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon after the ramming.

The crash occurred outside the Vermont Hollywood nightclub near the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Vermont Avenue around 2 a.m. July 19.

Prosecutors say Ramirez intentionally drove his car onto the sidewalk near the venue before hitting a crowd of pedestrians.

A total of 37 people were injured in the crash, with injuries ranging from minor abrasions to serious fractures, according to the L.A. County District Attorney's Office.

Following the crash, Ramirez was attacked by bystanders. That's when he was allegedly shot by Villalobos.

Ramirez had reportedly been kicked out of the nightclub for being disruptive before he crashed into the crowd.

Ramirez has a lengthy criminal record in Orange County dating back to 2014.

City News Service contributed to this report.