On April 8, 2024, Danielle Cherakiyah Johnson, 34, got into an argument with her partner Jaelen Allen Chaney, 29, at approximately 3:40 a.m. at their apartment in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, and fatally stabbed him. She then fled with her two daughters — an 8-month-old and a 9-year-old — in a Porsche Cayenne, ramming through the apartment complex's security gate. Around 4:30 a.m., while driving on Interstate 405 in Culver City, Johnson threw or pushed both children from the moving SUV; the 9-year-old was reportedly holding the infant when they were forced from the vehicle. The 8-month-old baby girl suffered major injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:44 a.m. The 9-year-old survived with moderate injuries. Approximately 30 minutes later, Johnson crashed into a tree in Redondo Beach at speeds exceeding 100 mph and was pronounced dead. The incidents were later connected and officially determined to be a double murder and a suicide.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Multiple sources describe the children being thrown or pushed from a moving vehicle. The Mercury News states Johnson "threw her two children from a moving SUV onto the freeway, killing her infant daughter." The LA Times reports "Children pushed out of moving car on 405" and an LAPD investigator said "the 9-year-old was holding the infant as she was forced from the vehicle."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
The children were expelled from a moving vehicle on the freeway, and the mother subsequently crashed her Porsche Cayenne into a tree at over 100 mph. The Mercury News states Johnson "drove along Interstate 405 in Culver City and threw her daughters out of the moving SUV around 4:30 a.m." and then "she was driving over 100 miles per hour (160 kph) and crashed into a tree."
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
NBC News (Document 3) explicitly states: "The deadly incidents were later connected and determined to be a double murder and a suicide, police said." The Mercury News also reports: "The LAPD is investigating whether the solo crash was an apparent suicide." Johnson killed her partner and infant daughter before crashing into a tree at over 100 mph, dying at the scene.
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The biological mother, Danielle Cherakiyah Johnson, was the perpetrator. The Mercury News states she "threw her two children from a moving SUV onto the freeway, killing her infant daughter." The NBC News article (Document 3) states: "The children's mother, Danielle Johnson, 34, got in an argument with a man whom she lived with, Jaelen Chaney, and stabbed him with a knife. Johnson then took her two children in a Porsche SUV."
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatal incident involved domestic violence: Johnson stabbed her partner Chaney to death. The Mercury News reports: "Johnson and her partner, 29-year-old Jaelen Allen Chaney, had an argument around 3:40 a.m. Monday in their apartment... Johnson stabbed Chaney." Additionally, NBC News (Document 2) reports neighbors saying "at night, especially in the past few months, fighting, screaming, and commotion could be heard coming from their unit," suggesting a pattern. However, per the Mercury News, "there were no indications of reported domestic violence" prior to the incident, and the LA Times notes "The couple had no documented history of domestic violence or calls to the LAPD."
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
While no formal mental health diagnosis or treatment is mentioned, the mother's behavior and circumstances imply mental health concerns. The Mercury News describes Johnson's social media posts in the days prior: "Wake up wake up the apocalypse is here" and calling the eclipse "the epitome of spiritual warfare." Her social media "included a mix of antisemitic screeds, conspiracy theories about vaccines and warnings about the end of the world." The LAPD also investigated whether her fatal crash into a tree at over 100 mph was "an apparent suicide." NBC News (Document 3) states the incidents were "determined to be a double murder and a suicide." The combination of apocalyptic ideation, the extreme nature of the violence, and the apparent suicide strongly implies mental health was a factor.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the source texts. First, Johnson was an astrology influencer with over 105,000 followers on X who posted apocalyptic warnings about the solar eclipse in the days prior, calling it "the epitome of spiritual warfare" (Mercury News). Police found "candles and cards" in the apartment that "didn't look like your standard deck of cards" (Mercury News), potentially tarot cards. Second, the LA Times reports that the 9-year-old surviving sister "was holding the infant as she was forced from the vehicle" and witnessed the stabbing, providing investigators with an account of the events. Third, Johnson rammed through the apartment complex's security gate to flee (LA Times). Fourth, Chaney had served in the Air Force as an armament technician in Italy (LA Times). Fifth, the surviving child was placed in the care of Child Protective Services (NBC News, Document 3). The case was ultimately determined to be a double murder (Chaney and the infant) and a suicide (Johnson), with no prior documented calls to police or domestic violence history.
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