Danielle Johnson: Woman dies by crashing car into tree after killing boyfriend and throwing minor daughters out of moving vehicle

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A Los Angeles woman reportedly killed her boyfriend and their infant daughter and hurt her nine-year-old daughter before crashing her car into a tree and ending her own life.

Danielle Cherakiyah Johnson, 34, reportedly first stabbed her partner, Jaelen Allen Chaney, 29, in the Woodland Hill neighborhood of San Fernando Valley. Then she left the residence with her nine-year-old daughter and eight-month-old baby.

Danielle Johnson threw her daughters from moving car 

While driving, Danielle Johnson threw her daughters out of the car and then died by suicide after crashing her car into a tree.

The above distressing sequences happened around 4:30 am on Monday, April 8, 2024.

Police reached the 405 Freeway in Culver City and found the body of the infant lying next to her nine-year-old sister on the roadside.

Unfortunately, the infant did not survive, however, the nine-year-old girl was rushed to the hospital for recovery.

About 15 miles away, police found the body of Johnson after she crashed her car into a tree.

Jaelen Chaney found dead after neighbor saw blood seeping from door

Danielle Johnson's partner Jaelen Allen Chaney was discovered in the family’s apartment by a neighbor who noticed blood seeping from under the door.

Los Angeles Police Department officials revealed additional details on Tuesday, April 9, regarding the tragic events.

According to investigators, Chaney and Johnson were heard arguing around 3:40 am on Monday, and the altercation escalated to a fatal outcome when the 34-year-old woman stabbed her partner to death.

LAPD officials also disclosed that the bloodied knife used by Johnson in the attack was recovered at the residence, Daily Mail reported.

Following the incident, Johnson fled the apartment with her two children.

Witnesses reported that she ejected the children from the vehicle, leading to the infant's fatal injuries from the fall, while the nine-year-old sustained moderate injuries.

Subsequently, Johnson drove south to Redondo Beach at speeds exceeding 100 mph, eventually crashing her car head-on into a tree at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Vincent Street.

Jaelen Allen Chaney's brother Matthew Chiricas mourns his death

Chaney's brother Matthew Chiricas, who revealed that his brother had embraced Johnson's older child from a previous relationship as his own, mourned his brother. 

Chiricas said, "I never seen him like kids, but I know he absolutely adored her."

The reason behind Johnson's violent actions remains a mystery.

A family member of Johnson, who preferred not to be named, described the 34-year-old as a stay-at-home mom.

"She sounded OK when I spoke to her last month," the shocked family member remarked.

Neighbors disclosed that the couple had resided in the upscale apartment for just over a year with their two children.

One neighbor recounted hearing the couple arguing in the middle of the night and discovering a trail of blood leading from their apartment the following morning.

"Their door was wide open, there was blood on the floor leading into their apartment, and then a trail of it in the hallway leading up to the elevator, and I saw some blood on the walls," the neighbor recalled.

The woman's father contacted 911, and the neighbor continued, “And they told me, when I spoke to the EMT, to go in and check on the body. So I did.”

Upon entering the apartment, the neighbor found Chaney deceased, facedown on the floor, surrounded by a significant amount of blood. 

Chiricas mentioned that his brother periodically checked in with him but never shared details about his relationship. 

In a troubling text message from November 2022, Chaney told his brother, "I have been dealing a lot personally with my girlfriend that I don't care to really share right now because it's not appropriate."

Chiricas said his brother and his girlfriend had traveled around Europe when he was stationed in Italy.

"The last message he sent to me was wishing me a happy birthday," Chiricas recalled.

He concluded,  "He was in the Air Force, but he had dreams to become a weatherman. He was just like the rest of us, trying to have fun and trying to have a family."

Police have yet to disclose Johnson's motive or the cause of Chaney's death. Johnson's older daughter has been placed in the care of CPS.