In a disturbing turn of events, authorities in Los Angeles have connected the tragic death of an 8-month-old infant discovered on the 405 Freeway on Monday to a suspected murder-suicide involving the child’s family.
The Los Angeles Police Department informed ABC News that early Monday morning, the lifeless body of the infant girl was found on the freeway, while her 9-year-old sibling was located on the shoulder, sustaining moderate injuries.
Subsequently, in Redondo Beach, a woman identified as the children’s mother tragically crashed her vehicle into a tree. She was pronounced deceased at the scene and has been identified as 34-year-old Danielle Johnson.
Further investigation revealed that the father, identified as 29-year-old Jaelen Chaney, was found deceased from apparent stab wounds in an apartment in Woodland Hills.
Authorities disclosed on Tuesday that an altercation between the parents during the early hours of Monday led to a violent escalation, resulting in Chaney being fatally stabbed by Johnson.
A knife with biological evidence was recovered from the scene, adding weight to the unfolding tragedy.
Moreover, it is suspected that Johnson abandoned her two children on the highway before the fatal crash in Redondo Beach. Police indicated that the children were forcibly removed from the moving vehicle, leaving uncertainty about the infant’s condition at the time of the abandonment.
The surviving 9-year-old girl, believed to be a crucial witness to the events, was hospitalized for her injuries and is now under the protective care of authorities.
Neighbors recounted unsettling accounts to Los Angeles ABC station KABC, reporting hearing a disturbance emanating from the family’s apartment the previous night, followed by the discovery of blood in the vicinity the next morning.
Describing the harrowing scene, a 26-year-old neighbor recounted finding the apartment door ajar, blood traces leading inside, and eventually discovering Chaney’s lifeless body upon entering.
The tragic sequence of events has left the community in shock and mourning as authorities continue to piece together the circumstances surrounding this heartbreaking incident.
