A woman awaiting sentencing for hit and run in the death of a pedestrian in Pacific Beach has been ordered to stand trial for residential burglary in La Jolla involving an acquaintance.
Taylor Suzanne Johnson, 36, remains free on a $50,000 bond in both cases. She pleaded guilty in Oct. to hit and run in the death of Richard Edward Henkel, 52, who was killed Aug. 4, 2019, on the Grand Avenue off-ramp to Interstate 5. Johnson also pleaded guilty to the transportation of methamphetamine, which was found in her car afterward. The presence of the drug in her vehicle outside her Clairemont home may be linked to why she didn’t stop after hitting the pedestrian.
Johnson was ordered to stand trial Jan. 30 by San Diego Superior Court Judge Patricia Garcia for burglary, car theft, grand theft, and receiving stolen property following a preliminary hearing.
“She burglarized the house of an acquaintance whom she doesn’t get along with,” said Deputy District Attorney Katherine Forbes at a previous hearing.
Forbes said a vehicle was taken and the total loss was $11,000. The burglary arrest came up on Dec. 30 when another judge was about to sentence Johnson for the hit and run. Judge Michael Groch delayed it to March 9 because of the new arrest.
Garcia set a trial date of March 20 in the burglary case. Johnson pleaded not guilty to all four charges and is free on bond.