A Pasadena girl shot and killed in September 2021 on the 210 Freeway in Arcadia was focused by an ex-boyfriend, an investigator testified throughout a preliminary listening to within the suspect’s homicide case.
On Sept. 4, 2021, Bertha Hernandez, 35, was struck and killed whereas driving on the freeway. The suspected shooter, Sidney Terrance Johnson, 26, was arrested final November after a 2-month investigation into the taking pictures by California Freeway Patrol.
What led to the car-to-car taking pictures had remained unclear, however in the course of the listening to on Monday, Oct. 17, CHP Detective Carlos Martinez supplied perception into his company’s investigation, together with the connection between the suspect and the sufferer, and a timeline of how the morning performed out.
Martinez stated he spoke with the sufferer’s mom in the course of the investigation, who advised authorities that her daughter described Johnson as her boyfriend, and that the 2 had attended a celebration on the household’s house. How lengthy they dated was not acknowledged on the listening to.
Nonetheless photographs from completely different surveillance cameras had been proven in court docket.
At about 8:45 a.m. on the day of the taking pictures, Johnson, a Los Angeles resident, was seen on safety digicam footage getting gasoline for an Infiniti sedan registered in his identify at a 76 Station at Kinneloa Avenue and Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. Within the footage, he was recognized as sporting pink Nike sneakers and darkish sweatpants with pink stripes.
Minutes later, the Infiniti was seen driving southbound on Kinneloa earlier than taking a left on east Del Mar Boulevard.
Safety digicam footage from a Boys & Ladies Membership of America within the 3200 block of Del Mar Avenue, throughout the road from the sufferer’s residence, exhibits the Infiniti driving alongside the road earlier than going out of body for about 10 minutes.
Hernandez’ automobile, a black Mercedes sedan, was seen parked in her driveway.
Martinez stated he believes the suspect sat ready in his automotive earlier than taking off once more as Hernandez pulled out of her driveway and headed east down Del Mar, turning left on Madre Road.
The suspect’s automobile then continued tailing the Mercedes onto the freeway, Martinez stated.
Dashcam footage was offered by Remy Chu, who was driving close by, when the preliminary listening to started final month. The footage captured the taking pictures on the freeway because it started round 9 a.m. The Infiniti and Mercedes sedan had been seen dashing previous him earlier than the Mercedes started swerving and careened into the bushes off the facet of the freeway.
Chu testified he might hear just a few loud popping noises earlier than Hernandez’ automotive crashed, kicking up a big plume of smoke from the filth off the freeway.
A second witness, Ana Ascon, who had known as authorities following the crash, stated she was one automotive behind the 2 automobiles when the taking pictures unfolded. Ascon stated she noticed a hand holding a gun attain out the passenger window of the Infiniti and fired a number of pictures in the direction of Hernandez’ automotive. There have been no passengers within the Johnson’s automotive on the time of the taking pictures.
A minimum of 10 pictures had been fired at Hernandez’ automobile, with at the least two placing the sufferer, Martinez stated.
When a search warrant was issued at Johnson’s residence, a pair of pink Nike sneakers and sweatpants matching those seen within the surveillance footage had been discovered, based on Martinez.
Johnson was charged with first-degree homicide and has pleaded not responsible. He stays in custody.
A preliminary listening to is held to find out if there may be sufficient proof for a case to go to trial. The listening to will proceed on November 14 on the Pasadena Courthouse.