NBC News reports from the Los Angeles Superior Court where a visibly shaken and emotional courtroom witnessed the testimony of Maria Elena Ramirez, mother of the accused Fernando Ramirez. Standing before the judge in a quiet but determined voice, Maria broke her silence for the first time since her son’s arrest following the devastating vehicle rampage that injured 37 people in downtown Los Angeles.

“My son has struggled for years,” she said. “He was never violent. He suffers from a mild mental disorder, and he has never been treated properly.” Her words came as Fernando Ramirez faced a mountain of legal trouble—74 serious charges, including multiple counts of attempted murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and reckless endangerment.

The charges stem from the shocking incident that unfolded earlier this week when Ramirez allegedly drove a Ford F-150 into a crowd of pedestrians near Sunset Boulevard, leaving behind a trail of chaos and injury. Several victims remain hospitalized, with at least five in critical condition.

In her testimony, Maria Ramirez offered an alternate view of her son’s actions. “I believe he misinterpreted the situation,” she said, referencing the altercation between Fernando and another man in a bar just hours before the crash. “He thought he was being followed, that someone was coming to harm him. He panicked. That wasn’t an attack—it was fear. A moment of confusion, not hate.”

As the prosecution laid out a grim timeline of events, citing video footage, eyewitness accounts, and a so-called “manifesto” recovered from Ramirez’s apartment, defense attorneys began sketching the beginnings of what appears to be a mental health defense. They claim Ramirez had no prior criminal history, and his behavior on the day of the incident was “erratic, paranoid, and triggered by a perceived threat.”

“Fernando has never been diagnosed because we couldn’t afford proper mental care,” Maria continued. “I tried to get help when he was younger, but we were turned away. Now everyone wants to say he’s a monster, but he’s not. He’s sick. And now you want to punish someone who was never even given a chance to be normal.”

Courtroom reactions were divided. Some family members of the victims visibly shook their heads in disbelief, while others appeared moved by the mother’s desperation. One woman, whose husband is currently in a coma following the crash, was seen leaving the courtroom in tears.

Prosecutors, however, show no signs of reducing the charges. “We acknowledge the emotional testimony of the defendant’s mother,” said Deputy District Attorney Sean Wilcox. “But let us not forget—this was not a minor incident. This was a mass attack. Dozens of lives were put at risk. We are talking about a deliberate act, involving a 4,000-pound vehicle, driven straight into innocent people.”

When asked about the so-called manifesto discovered in Ramirez’s room—which included phrases like “They’re watching me” and “I will not let them win”—Maria suggested it was “a reflection of someone crying for help, not someone planning harm.”

“He wrote those things when he felt no one was listening,” she said. “He wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. He was trying to escape.”

Court documents also reveal that Ramirez had recently lost his job and was reportedly suffering from insomnia and auditory hallucinations in the weeks leading up to the crash. According to a neighbor, he had been seen walking in circles outside his apartment, mumbling to himself, days before the event.

Despite this, the prosecution insists that Ramirez had full awareness of his actions. “He chose to get in the truck. He chose to return to the crowded district. And he chose to accelerate into that crowd. Whatever demons he was facing, the law cannot excuse such destruction.”

The judge has ordered a full psychological evaluation before the next hearing. In the meantime, Fernando Ramirez will remain in custody without bail. The courtroom will reconvene in three weeks to review the results of the mental health assessment and determine the next phase of the legal process.

As the city of Los Angeles continues to recover from the physical and emotional wounds of the attack, the courtroom becomes the next battleground—between grief and compassion, justice and understanding. For Maria Ramirez, the message remains clear: “My son is not evil. He needed help. And we failed him before this ever happened.”