Man arrested after car chase, discovery of woman’s body at North County home
A 31-year-old Paso Robles man has been arrested following an early-morning pursuit and the discovery of a dead woman in his Heritage Ranch home, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday.
The incident began when California Highway Patrol officers responded to a disabled vehicle on Highway 46 West and York Mountain Road, the Sheriff’s Office said.
As a CHP officer went to assist, the suspect, identified as Daniel Raul Rodriguez Johnson, got out of the vehicle and stole the patrol car, Undersheriff Jim Voge said in a Sunday afternoon press conference.
Johnson left behind two young girls, ages 2 and 4, in his car, Voge said.
The CHP called in sheriff’s deputies to assist in the pursuit at about 6 a.m., Voge said.
Deputies deployed spike strips in the San Simeon area and stopped the vehicle, officials said.
Johnson fled on foot into the brush north of the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, the Sheriff’s Office said.
When deputies found Johnson, he brandished a knife at them, Voge said.
The knife belonged to the CHP and appears to have been the only weapon Johnson had on him at the time, Voge said.
Deputies utilized bean bag rounds to take him into custody “without further incident,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies then went to Johnson’s home in the 2800 block of Sorrel Lane in Heritage Ranch, where they found a broken window.
When the deputies couldn’t make contact with anyone inside, they entered the home and found a dead woman, the Sheriff’s Office said. No one else was in the home at the time, Voge said.
Voge said authorities believe the woman lived at the home as well. Details regarding the pair’s relationship to each other were not available Sunday.
Voge said deputies went to Johnson’s home to “make sure everyone else was OK” and to find someone the two girls belonged to.
“We have a person that’s under arrest, stealing a Highway Patrol car, brandishing a knife at law enforcement and leaving two little girls, 2 and 4, in the car,” Voge said. “There has to be more to this story.”
Sheriff’s officials have classified the woman’s death as suspicious, but her cause of death was not immediately available.
The woman has not yet been identified pending notification of next of kin, Voge said. He could not confirm reports that she was pregnant.
Detectives are investigating and collecting evidence, according to a news release.
Voge said he did not know whether the girls found in the car were Johnson’s daughters. They received medical treatment and “seemed to be OK,” Voge said.
They are now with relatives, Voge said.
Johnson has been arrested and is awaiting booking into the San Luis Obispo County Jail, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Johnson has been arrested on charges that include driving under the influence, child endangerment, felony resisting arrest and evading arrest, Voge said.
Johnson has had prior contact with law enforcement, Voge said. He said he did not know what he had previously been arrested for, just that “he’s been a visitor here at our local jail on several occasions.”
This story was originally published March 3, 2019 at 3:34 PM.
