The Antelope Valley Times

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Palmdale man charged with murder for triple-fatal crash

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Victims Michelle Maxie, 36, and Anaya Clayton, 2, both of Arizona, and Maisha Garrett, 37, of Paramount, all were passengers in the Eric Johnson’s Ford Escape when it collided with a Honda Accord around 9:19 p.m. on Sunday, June 19, near Avenue D and the Antelope Valley Freeway. [Photo by LUIS MEZA]
Victims Michelle Maxie, 36, and Anaya Clayton, 2, both of Arizona, and Maisha Garrett, 37, of Paramount, all were passengers in the Eric Johnson’s Ford Escape when it collided with a Honda Accord around 9:19 p.m. on Sunday, June 19, near Avenue D and the Antelope Valley Freeway. [Photo by LUIS MEZA]
LANCASTER – A 37-year-old Palmdale man has been charged with multiple counts of murder in connection with a traffic collision in Lancaster that claimed the lives of two women and a 2-year-old girl, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

Eric Deshawn Johnson faces three counts of murder and one count of driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage causing injury with a great bodily injury allegation, according to Deputy District Attorney Sun Chung.

Johnson is also charged with a misdemeanor count of driving when privilege suspended or revoked, Chung said.

Victims Michelle Maxie, 36, and Anaya Clayton, 2, both of Arizona, and Maisha Garrett, 37, of Paramount, all were passengers in the Johnson’s Ford Escape when it collided with a Honda Accord on June 19 near Avenue D and the Antelope Valley Freeway, the prosecutor said.

Johnson was driving westbound on Avenue D when he made a left turn directly into the path of the eastbound Honda Accord, resulting in a broadside traffic collision, according to a California Highway Patrol report.

Johnson, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle and was hospitalized with major injuries, the CHP reported. Maxie and Garrett died at the scene, and 2-year-old Clayton was taken to Antelope Valley Hospital where she was pronounced dead, according to the CHP.

The driver of the Honda Accord sustained major injuries but survived the crash. (LUIS MEZA)
The Honda Accord’s driver sustained major injuries but survived the crash. (LUIS MEZA)

The driver of the Accord, 61-year-old Cheryl A. Harris of Lancaster, was injured in the crash but survived.

The criminal case against Johnson was filed July 1. He was scheduled to be arraigned Friday, July 8, in Department A01 of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Antelope Valley Branch.

Bail is set at $6.18 million, according to the District Attorney’s office.

If convicted as charged, Johnson faces a possible maximum sentence of 45 years to life in state prison.

The case remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol, Lancaster Station.

UPDATE: Johnson’s arraignment was postponed to Monday, July 11.

Previous related story: 2 women, toddler killed in AV traffic crash

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Filed Under: Crime/ Safety, Lancaster

33 comments for "Palmdale man charged with murder for triple-fatal crash"

  1. Hey, “Your Worst Enemy”… I’m YOUR worst enemy. I WILL catch up with you, and when I do…it won’t be pretty.

  2. I done drink and drive in the past, drink and drive in the present, and will drink and drive in the future, Come and get me.

    • How incredibly self centered and cowardly does someone have to be to write such a heartless thing while many people grieve the loss of these 2 women and a child. Everyone does stupid things at some point in life. Some of us go to far and some just never get caught. But you take the prize for ignorance on this one. Get a life, one that isnt a worthless waste like you already have.

  4. Thank God he will never be driving on the streets again. He doesn’t deserve to see the light of day. He was a reckless human being as evidenced by his facebook page and life finally caught up with him. Rest in heaven to my beautiful cousin Maisha and her friend and baby.

  5. POS can rot in prison for all I care. Can’t wait til other inmates find out he’s responsible for the murder of a two year old child.

  6. Wonderful news. This ain’t his first rodeo. This [removed] has a rap sheet and got into other car accidents and bragged. Has DUI’s and other ish. Just too bad he lived.

    • How do you know he had other DUI’s? This article made no mention of him being a repeat offender. You act like you have a personal grudge against Eric that has nothing to do with this accident. Damn, did your girlfriend call out Eric’a name while you were banging her? Did he steal your girl? Does he look better than you? Are you big mad or a little angry?

      • The suspended/revoked license could indicate that he had already been convicted of the same crime. It may be totally unrelated but that is one of the punishments for a DUI.

      • I knew all of them since childhood. His facebook was taken down. He presented himself as a cookie cutter thug rapper named Burntout. He was still bragging about smashing girls from elementary school! He made songs and posts about not spilling his drink during an accident.
        Mimi, you sound childish, just like Eric Burntout. It’s hard to be angry or jealous of him today even though he had been with girls I wished I was with! If you all are still gonna act like this, I have to tell you what Eric told me in 1992 when I was rapping: It’s not 1989 anymore! Grow up.

        • My reply was to Jordan but yet you’re replying back as if you’re him. I’m well aware of his Facebook page being removed. I also have known all of them since childhood too. I’ve seen his post about the alleged accident and there was no mention of him being the driver either. Also, everything posted on social media isn’t necessarily 100 percent true either. BTW….just because I write a reply and you don’t like what I wrote doesn’t make me childish. I can write my opinion just like you wrote your opinion. So you grow up Jordan, Jacqmaster, John Doe or whatever your name is.

          • He was definitely the driver this time. The only thing you said was don’t believe everything on social media. Okay, Eric aka Burntout was a fake.

      • A lot of people reading this article know those involved. That’s why we’re reading it. If you know him then you know ge drove drunk All.The.Time and boasted about it online. Maisha was my friend. [removed] Eric!!!! rot in jail!

        • Just gotta say…if someone drives drunk all the time, and boasts about it on line, don’t get in their car would be a pretty good basic rule to follow.

  7. Eric Deshawn Johnson faces three counts of murder and one count of driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage causing injury with a great bodily injury allegation, according to Deputy District Attorney Sun Chung.

    Johnson is also charged with a misdemeanor count of driving when privilege suspended or revoked, Chung said.

    Johnson, the 1 person who should of died survived. A innocent woman driving east bound has a long road of physical recovery & is lucky to be alive! Never get in a vehicle with someone who has been drinking! Anaya Clayton, little sweet angel 2 yr. old baby girl R.I.P , a innocent life with potential has been taken way to soon! Shame on her mother or caregiver for putting that child in that car to be murdered! Johnson can spend the rest of his life behind bars never forgetting the lives he took! SMH! Please do not drink and drive!

      • Exactly ^^ stfu . Nobody deserved to die . Dont be so quick to throw the first stone like youve lived without sin.

        RIP to these beautiful women and baby girl .
        My prayers go out to everyone

    • Shame on you for judging. Since when did God make you the judge , the jury and prosecutor????? To say anyone should have died……..smh. Cheryl……I’ll assume that maybe someone found some interest in you physically to make you a mother. Just take a moment and imagine if Eric was your son. Or if your child was in his position regardless of how you raised him. Would you be saying your son should have died????? I think not. So I think you need to chill Cheryl. Its a sad situation.

    • Shame on you. For you to say anyone should have died…….smh! And don’t try to shame her mother, shame yourself for your comments and judgments. Since when did God make you the judge, the jury and executioner????? I thought not!!! Cheryl……I will go out on a limb and assume that maybe someone found you some bit of attractive to impregnate. Just imagine if your son….regardless to how you raised him….was in Erics postion. Would you still say your son should have died???? I think not. This whole situation is sad. But still not to be judged by ignorance.

  8. Well its about time , its shame that crashes like this ,it takes to put someone away ,make this nhi none human individual suffer

    • You have no idea what you’re talking about. They were all friends. This was an accident. Your comment proves you aren’t human.

      • Keith, Are you throwing down the $618,000.00 to get your buddy out on bail. Didn’t think so. Let it go.

        • Shut the he’ll up. Did you put up anything on the funerals????
          Did you come by to pay respects??? Naw….so let these go in your mouth! You ain’t did a damn. So you let it go

          • [removed] please. It was a selfish act is what is was. What does them being friends have to do with the tea in china? Irrelevant. The fact is he was drunk and driving and most likely high as a kite on all that weed he always smoking. He bragged about his other car accident. This time he killed people. Irresponsible. Shame on him. The penalties for killing someone while driving drunk are quite severe.

        • Accidents are what happens when death or injury are caused by someone who did not exhibit reckless behavior. This was NOT an accident. This was murder, he CHOSE to drink, CHOSE to get behind the wheel of a potential deadly weapon, he made the conscious decision to drive knowing he had a suspended/revoked license… That is NOT AN ACCIDENT… Those are choices that lead to the death of innocent people. He’s a selfish, reckless murderer, plain and simple.

      • An accident that could have been prevented though with little effort on the part of the driver. He should not have gotten behind the wheel.

    • Shane….your ignorance on the matter makes you less than a cockroach. So you must be the trash at the roach motel. Pathetic

      • Drinking and driving, Facebook full of driving while drunk and high and he murdered people and injured some other innocent driver.

        No excuse for it. Just another somebody content to float along the bottom of life with disregard for the law and others…a cockroach.

      • Bingo. Shane is good for making fun of though. Ask him what his big house compensates for.